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Publication of report on the State of Digital Rights in Nigeria
PREFACE - THE STATE OF DIGITAL RIGHTS IN NIGERIA, BALANCING INNOVATION, SECURITY, AND FREEDOM
As Nigeria’s digital economy matures, the boundary between our physical and virtual lives has all but vanished.
As Nigeria’s digital economy matures, the boundary between our physical and virtual lives has all but vanished.
In 2025, digital participation is no longer a luxury of the elite; it is the primary medium through which the Nigerian citizen seeks information, builds livelihoods, and demands accountability. However, this rapid transition has brought us to a critical inflection point where the tools of empowerment are increasingly being repurposed as instruments of control.
This report, a product of the eRIGHTS Project, arrives at a time when the "digital frontier" in Nigeria is both expanding and tightening. While we celebrate milestones like the 2023 Data Protection Act and the rollout of the National AI Strategy, we cannot ignore the persistent shadows of surveillance, the misapplication of the Cybercrimes Act, and the growing digital divide that threatens to leave millions behind.
Since its inception in 2023, the European Union Funded eRIGHTS project—led by Avocats Sans Frontières France in Nigeria in partnership with Spaces for Change (S4C) and the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD)—has stood at the intersection of law, technology, and human rights. We have witnessed a period where "passive compliance" ended, and "active enforcement" began. Yet, the central tension remains unresolved: Does this new era of enforcement serve the public interest, or does it merely consolidate digital authority at the expense of fundamental freedoms?
Within these pages, we present a comprehensive analysis of the state of digital rights in Nigeria. We move beyond statistics to highlight the stories of journalists navigating digital censorship, youth activists and women facing online harassment, and the legislative hurdles that continue to stifle the full expression of a Digital Rights legislation.
The findings within this report confirm that Nigeria’s digital trajectory is not a matter of chance, but a matter of choice. As we look beyond the 2023–2026 cycle of the eRIGHTS project, the evidence demands a transition from monitoring violations to institutionalizing protections. To ensure that the digital age strengthens rather than subverts our democracy.
This report is not merely a retrospective; it is a call to action. It serves as a roadmap for legislators to build trust, for civil society to sharpen its advocacy, and for the private sector to prioritize the safety of its users. The eRIGHTS project has laid the foundation for a more resilient digital society. However, the architecture of freedom is never complete. We invite all stakeholders to move beyond the pages of this report and join us in the active labor of defending the digital frontier. The time for passive observation has passed; the era of principled action is here.
Digital rights are human rights. As we navigate the complexities of 2026 and beyond, our collective goal remains unchanged: to ensure that the Nigerian digital space remains an open, safe, and democratic commons for all.
Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu
Country Director,
Avocats Sans Frontières France
(Lawyers Without Borders France)
To access the guide, click on the attached document, “know more,” or here: https://www.avocatssansfrontieres-france.org/media/data/paragraphes_documents/documents/file_en-318.pdf
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