News Highlights:
- The Whitepaper proposes regulatory frameworks to combat online harms in Nigeria.
- It invites input from regulators, civil society, businesses, and the public to foster a safe and inclusive digital ecosystem.
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced the release of a Whitepaper on the Framework for an Online Harms Protection Bill in Nigeria.
Digital TimesNG reports that the document, developed in collaboration with Advocacy for Policy and Innovation (API), an Africa-focused non-profit organization, addresses the growing challenge of online harm in the country.
Hadiza Umar, Director, Corporate Communications and Media Relations at NITDA said in a statement that the Whitepaper stems from discussions and insights gathered during Nigeria’s inaugural Content Moderation and Online Safety Summit hosted by API in July 2022.
The Whitepaper highlights the prevalence of online harms and underscores the need for regulatory action to protect citizens, particularly children, in the digital space.
It offers conceptual frameworks and analyses approaches adopted by other jurisdictions, presenting a range of ideas for consideration in crafting a framework for Nigeria.
Designed as a foundation for stakeholder engagement, the Whitepaper aims to guide the development of a collaborative bill addressing online harms without being a definitive policy document.
It aggregates research-based ideas to facilitate meaningful discussions involving government regulators, the security sector, civil society organizations, businesses, internet platforms, and the general public.
Through this initiative, NITDA and API aim to foster a national dialogue on combating online harms while advancing a safe and inclusive digital ecosystem in Nigeria.
Stakeholders are encouraged to provide feedback, comments, and suggestions by reaching out to theOHPwhitepaper.secretariat@apiintelligence.org.
The collected responses will inform further stakeholder engagements and contribute to the development of the proposed bill.
NITDA appreciates the contributions of the steering team members, including representatives from Nigeria’s civil society and the Nigerian Human Rights Commission (NHRC), who played a significant role in developing the Whitepaper.
The Agency in commending the project secretariat for their dedication to compiling the research, said the Whitepaper is available for download or reading via this link: https://links.nitda.gov.ng/ohpb.
NITDA looks forward to continued conversations and collaborations to enhance Nigeria’s digital economy and ensure the internet remains a safe and shared resource for all.