Project Overview

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) implemented the Creating Awareness of Digital Rights at the Grassroots Level in Nigeria project from June to November 2025, with support from the Association for Progressive Communications (APC). The project sought to strengthen legal activism for the promotion and protection of digital rights in rural communities, improve public understanding of digital rights, and help victims of digital rights violations access legal redress.

The intervention combined community-level capacity building, training for justice-sector actors, radio and online programming, public advocacy, direct support to victims, policy engagement and the production of a policy brief on digital rights at the local level. It reached civil society organisations, journalists, magistrates, lawyers, young people, rural residents and wider audiences across Northern Nigeria.

The project responded to growing concerns about online harassment, unlawful arrests, privacy violations and restrictions on freedom of expression. It promoted a rights-based digital environment in which citizens understand their rights and can seek protection and redress when violations occur.

Project Objectives and Strategic Focus

The project’s central objective was to contribute to stronger legal activism for digital rights in rural communities, enhance public understanding of digital rights and support victims of digital rights abuses in seeking redress.

The project placed particular emphasis on grassroots civil society actors and journalists, the capacity of legal professionals to handle digital rights cases, and accessible media platforms that bring digital rights conversations to rural and underserved communities.

Major Interventions and Achievements:

Capacity Building for Civil Society Organisations and Journalists

CITAD conducted a two-day intensive training for 30 civil society organisation representatives and journalists in Kano State, comprising 17 males and 13 females. The training strengthened participants’ understanding of digital rights frameworks, advocacy approaches and online safety, equipping them to monitor and report violations and support affected communities.

Participants extended the knowledge to 449 people through step-down activities in their communities and networks. Participating organisations began integrating digital rights into their ongoing work, while a lawyer among the trained participants offered pro bono legal support to victims of digital rights abuses.

Capacity Building for Magistrates and Lawyers

A two-day capacity-building workshop brought together 20 magistrates and lawyers, comprising 10 males and 10 females. Sessions covered digital evidence, privacy laws, cybercrime and the Digital Rights and Freedom Act, strengthening participants’ ability to interpret, prosecute and adjudicate digital rights cases.

The workshop encouraged collaboration between CITAD and the Young Lawyers Association to support victims. It also contributed to the inclusion of a digital rights component in the Kano State High Court’s routine fourth-quarter training activities.

Radio Programming on Guarantee Radio

CITAD produced and broadcast 13 radio episodes on Guarantee Radio, addressing online privacy, freedom of expression, data protection and digital safety. The programmes provided accessible explanations of digital rights and enabled listeners to ask questions and share experiences through phone-in contributions.

Several callers said the programmes were their first introduction to digital rights, while others explained that the discussions helped them understand their rights online and how to seek legal redress. The broadcasts made complex legal and technology-related issues accessible to a wider public.

Digital Rights Programmes on CITAD Radio

The project delivered 24 digital rights programmes on CITAD Radio to maintain public engagement throughout the implementation period. The programmes were streamed live through CITAD’s social media platforms, particularly Facebook, allowing audiences to follow discussions, ask questions and share experiences in real time.

The livestreams extended the reach beyond the station’s online listenership and created an interactive space for public learning.

Support and Advocacy for Victims of Digital Rights Violations

CITAD responded to cases involving unlawful arrests and harassment linked to online expression through press statements, engagement with relevant authorities and connections to legal support. These interventions contributed to public pressure for the release of individuals detained for exercising their digital rights.

Individuals whose cases received advocacy support included Comrade Abiyo Roni, Usman Sabo, Murtala Garba Doka, Shamsu Safiyanu Lambu, Ibrahim Ishaq Danuwa Rano, Zakariyya Kabeer Gwagwarwa and Zubair A. Zubair, among others. The interventions, undertaken with other advocates and legal actors, contributed to the release of the affected individuals.

The number of cases requiring attention increased during the project period, demonstrating the continuing need for accessible legal assistance and sustained advocacy to protect freedom of expression and other digital rights.

Policy Brief on Digital Rights at the Local Level

CITAD developed and unveiled a policy brief examining gaps in digital rights protection at the local level in Northern Nigeria. The publication drew on insights from training activities, case interventions and consultations, and presented evidence-based recommendations for policymakers, civil society organisations and legal practitioners.

The policy brief provides a resource for engagement with state-level institutions and supports efforts to strengthen digital governance and accountability.

Advocacy Engagement with Justice-Sector Stakeholders

CITAD undertook an advocacy visit to the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Kano State Chapter, to seek institutional support for digital rights and improved access to justice. The engagement secured a commitment from the NBA to provide pro bono legal representation to individuals arrested for exercising their digital rights.

This commitment creates an important pathway for reducing the financial and legal barriers faced by victims seeking redress and strengthens the role of the legal profession in defending digital freedoms.

Webinars on Emerging Digital Rights Issues

CITAD organised three webinars to extend awareness beyond physical training locations. The webinars addressed:

• Freedom Under Fire: The Rising Clampdown on Online Critics and Journalists in Nigeria.
• Safe Digital Spaces – Strengthening Child Protection Online.
• The Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Rights in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects.

The sessions attracted journalists, civil society actors, young people and technology practitioners. They deepened discussions on online expression, child safety and the human rights implications of artificial intelligence. The virtual format enabled wider participation.

Community Reach and Results

The project engaged civil society organisations, journalists, legal practitioners, magistrates, young people, rural citizens and victims of digital rights violations.

• 30 civil society representatives and journalists trained: 17 males and 13 females.
• 449 people reached through step-down training conducted by the trained civil society representatives and journalists.
• 20 magistrates and lawyers trained: 10 males and 10 females.
• 13 digital rights radio episodes broadcast on Guarantee Radio.
• 24 digital rights programmes broadcast on CITAD Radio and streamed through social media.
• Three webinars conducted on online expression, child protection, and artificial intelligence and digital rights.
• An estimated audience of more than three (3) million listeners and online viewers reached through radio and digital media activities.
• A policy brief on digital rights at the local level developed and unveiled.
• Pro bono legal support commitment secured from the Nigeria Bar Association, Kano State Chapter.
• Several individuals detained in connection with online expression secured release following advocacy and legal interventions.

The endline assessment conducted among 200 people in project communities found that 92 per cent were aware of the concept of digital rights. Media outreach and public engagements also strengthened awareness of how citizens can identify, report and respond to violations.

Changes and Stories of Impact

For many people in rural communities across Northern Nigeria, digital rights had previously been an unfamiliar concept despite their regular use of social media and other digital platforms. The project helped bridge this knowledge gap by explaining online rights, privacy, freedom of expression and the avenues available when violations occur.

Listeners who participated in radio programmes described the discussions as their first opportunity to learn about digital rights. One listener explained that witnessing arrests linked to online expression had made him afraid to express his opinions online. After listening to the programme, he felt better equipped to express himself responsibly and understood the steps to take if his rights were violated. Young people who followed CITAD’s Facebook livestreams also reported improved understanding of online privacy and legal redress.

Direct interventions for detained individuals demonstrated the importance of connecting public advocacy with legal support. Through press releases, engagement with authorities and collaboration with legal actors, CITAD and other advocates helped secure the release of individuals arrested in connection with their online expression.

The project also contributed to institutional change. The inclusion of digital rights in the Kano State High Court’s routine training activities offers a basis for continued professional development among judicial officers. The NBA’s commitment to pro bono representation further strengthens the prospects for accessible legal assistance to victims.

Lessons Learned

The project demonstrated the value of combining grassroots training, accessible media programming, legal empowerment, direct case support and institutional advocacy. It also highlighted the importance of planning advocacy visits well in advance, maintaining capacity to respond to urgent rights violations, and using both online and offline channels to reach audiences with different levels of connectivity.

Sustainability and Continuing Value

The project created a foundation for CITAD to deepen its digital rights work through the network of trained civil society representatives, journalists, lawyers and justice-sector actors. The 449 people reached through step-down training provide an expanded base for community-level awareness, monitoring and advocacy.

The NBA’s commitment to pro bono legal representation offers an opportunity to develop a more structured legal support mechanism for victims. CITAD will also build on its relationship with the justice sector, including the Kano State High Court’s inclusion of digital rights in routine training, to encourage sustained capacity development and stronger institutional responses.

The policy brief will continue to serve as an advocacy resource for engagement with state institutions on digital rights protection and digital governance. CITAD will further leverage its radio and online platforms, institutional relationships and experience from case interventions to sustain public awareness and promote access to justice.

Conclusion

The Creating Awareness of Digital Rights at the Grassroots Level in Nigeria project strengthened public understanding of digital rights, built the capacity of civil society actors and justice-sector professionals, expanded access to legal support and promoted community participation in digital rights advocacy.

Through training, radio and online programming, webinars, policy engagement and direct interventions for victims, CITAD helped bring digital rights issues closer to communities and institutions across Northern Nigeria. The project’s contribution to the release of detained individuals, the NBA’s pro bono commitment and the inclusion of digital rights in judicial training demonstrate the value of combining public awareness with practical legal and institutional action.

The networks, knowledge and partnerships established through the project provide a strong basis for continued efforts to protect digital freedoms and ensure that all citizens can participate safely and meaningfully in Nigeria’s digital environment.