Project Overview

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) implemented the Enhancing the Flourishing of Digital Rights in Nigeria project between 2022 and 2023 with support from the Association for Progressive Communications (APC). The project strengthened public understanding of digital rights, improved the capacity of journalists and civil society actors to stay safe online, promoted women’s meaningful participation in digital spaces, and mobilised support for the passage of the Digital Rights and Freedoms Bill.

The intervention combined practical capacity building, public sensitisation, media engagement, stakeholder dialogue and advocacy with relevant government institutions. Activities reached journalists, civil society leaders, students, young people, people with disabilities and wider audiences through community-based training, radio and television programmes, online discussions and press conferences.

The project was implemented in a period of growing dependence on digital technologies for communication, civic participation and access to services. It responded to the need to ensure that the expansion of the digital economy was matched by respect for human rights, privacy, freedom of expression, inclusion and safety online.

Project Objectives and Strategic Focus

The project pursued three interconnected objectives:

• Strengthen the capacity of civil society leaders, women journalists and young people seeking political office to use the internet safely and protect themselves online.
• Raise public awareness of digital rights through campaigns, media engagement and public sensitisation.
• Support advocacy for the passage of the Digital Rights and Freedoms Bill by mobilising civil society, media, digital rights champions and relevant public institutions.

Inclusion was an important element of the intervention. The Bauchi Feminist Internet School included participants with disabilities, while the project’s training and awareness activities placed particular emphasis on women’s digital participation, safety and access to knowledge.

Major Interventions and Achievements:

Capacity Building for Journalists and Civil Society Leaders

CITAD organised a two-day capacity-building programme for journalists and civil society organisation leaders. The curriculum drew on the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms, the Feminist Principles of the Internet, online safety and privacy, and the use of technologies that support secure and unrestricted access to the internet.

Thirty-one female journalists and civil society leaders participated in the training. Participants subsequently cascaded the knowledge to 449 people in their communities and professional networks. The trained participants also emerged as digital rights champions, taking part in public discussions and media engagements to promote digital rights and the Digital Rights and Freedoms Bill.

Champions contributed to radio and television discussions in Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi and Gombe, extending the campaign beyond the initial training cohort.

National Stakeholders’ Meeting on Digital Rights

On 26 January 2023, CITAD convened a national stakeholders’ meeting at Rockview Hotel, Abuja. More than 40 participants drawn from civil society organisations, the media, government, academia, digital rights activists and human rights communities examined strategies for securing the passage of the Digital Rights and Freedoms Bill and sustaining pressure for presidential assent.

Participants developed a joint memorandum calling on Nigerian authorities to expedite the passage and assent of the Bill. Media representatives and other stakeholders incorporated the meeting’s recommendations into their subsequent advocacy and public communication. The meeting provided a platform for coordination across sectors, although stronger participation by government officials would have improved the engagement.

Online Discussions and Twitter Spaces

CITAD organised a series of online discussions and six Twitter Spaces between November 2022 and May 2023. The sessions addressed the state of digital rights in Nigeria, collective citizen advocacy, the work of digital rights champions, online data breaches and their implications for elections, and the priorities for digital rights under the incoming national administration.

The discussions featured practitioners, legal experts, academics, journalists and civil society advocates. They provided opportunities for young people and members of the public to learn about digital rights, understand the provisions and significance of the proposed Bill, and consider practical ways to protect their rights online.

Fifth Bauchi Feminist Internet School

The fifth Bauchi Feminist Internet School was held on 6 and 7 February 2023 at Pali Hotel, Bauchi. It brought together 34 participants, exceeding the initial target of 20. The group included 19 females and 15 males, as well as two participants with disabilities—one with a physical disability and one with a hearing impairment.

Participants explored the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms, the Feminist Principles of the Internet, digital safety and privacy, and tools for safer online engagement. The school aimed to develop digital inclusion champions, strengthen young people’s understanding of feminist internet principles and equip participants to address the gender digital divide.

Participants cascaded the training in their communities. Three participants also secured free airtime on private radio stations in their states to discuss digital rights and extend public awareness.

Press Conferences and Public Advocacy

CITAD held eight press conferences between November 2022 and May 2023 to sustain public attention on digital rights and the passage of the Digital Rights and Freedoms Bill. The engagements addressed the need for presidential assent to the Bill, harassment and detention linked to online expression, the safety of journalists, protection of rights during elections, and the responsibility of the incoming administration and 10th National Assembly to advance digital rights.

The press conferences attracted coverage from several media organisations and helped keep digital rights issues in public discussion. CITAD and other advocates also called for the release of individuals detained in connection with online expression, including Aminu Adamu, a student of Federal University Dutse, and Umar Garba of Nguru Local Government Area, Yobe State. Both individuals were subsequently released.

Public Forums and Panel Discussions

CITAD organised six public forums and panel discussions on issues affecting digital rights in Nigeria. Topics included the state of digital rights, compliance by online platforms, internet access as a right, the activities of digital rights champions, and the need to make digital rights a priority for the new administration.

The discussions brought together legal practitioners, academics, journalists, activists and technology professionals. They expanded public understanding of digital rights and the proposed Bill, while creating space for participants to share recommendations on public awareness, advocacy and government accountability.

Media Day of Action on Digital Rights

The Media Day of Action, held on 22 March 2023, brought together CITAD staff, trained journalists, civil society leaders, beneficiaries of the Bauchi Feminist Internet School, programme participants and partner organisations. Activities included a Twitter discussion, radio programmes and physical public sensitisation.

Media organisations provided airtime for the campaign, including Gidauniya Radio, Arewa Radio, Premier Radio and Freedom Radio in Kano; Albarka Radio and BRC FM Azare in Bauchi; We FM in Abuja; Jigawa Radio; and Nigerian Television Authority in Jigawa. The media engagement helped communicate that digital rights are human rights and that citizens, media professionals and institutions all have a role in protecting them.

Advocacy Engagements with Government Institutions

CITAD conducted advocacy visits to the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). The engagements focused on strengthening institutional support for the Digital Rights and Freedoms Bill and promoting the protection of citizens’ rights in digital environments.

The NHRC expressed interest in partnering with CITAD to build staff capacity for monitoring digital rights and integrating digital rights concerns into the Commission’s work. NIMC also indicated willingness to undertake collaborative activities on digital identity inclusion and the protection of citizens’ digital identity. These engagements strengthened relationships with institutions whose mandates are relevant to digital rights and inclusion.

Baseline and Endline Awareness Assessments

CITAD conducted a baseline survey in Kano and Bauchi to assess public awareness of digital rights. The baseline covered 400 participants: 200 in Kano and 200 in Bauchi. Respondents included residents of rural communities, tertiary institution students, journalists and civil society members.

An endline assessment involving 200 people in communities where the project was implemented found that 87 per cent of respondents were aware of the concept of digital rights. The result reflected increased awareness among the audiences reached by the project and provided an indication of progress in public understanding.

Reach and Reported Results

The project reached a reported total of 778 young people through physical activities and engaged thousands more through Twitter Spaces and online discussions. The community reach included journalists, civil society leaders, students and participants in step-down training activities.

• Thirty-one journalists and civil society leaders participated in the core capacity-building programme, with step-down activities reaching 449 people.
• Thirty-four participants attended the fifth Bauchi Feminist Internet School, including two participants with disabilities.
• The project convened a national stakeholders’ meeting with more than 40 participants.
• Six online discussion spaces and six public forums created opportunities for public learning and dialogue.
• Eight press conferences and the Media Day of Action sustained media and public attention on digital rights.
• The endline assessment found that 87 per cent of the 200 respondents surveyed were aware of digital rights.
• Engagements with the NHRC and NIMC opened opportunities for institutional collaboration on digital rights monitoring and digital identity inclusion.

Changes and Stories of Impact

The project strengthened participants’ understanding of the internet as a space in which human rights must be respected and protected. Journalists and civil society leaders who previously had limited knowledge of online rights gained practical information on privacy, online safety and available avenues for redress. One participant explained that the training helped her understand that she could seek legal redress when her privacy was violated and showed her how to protect herself online.

The Bauchi Feminist Internet School also had a significant impact on participants with disabilities. A participant with a hearing impairment described the school as particularly impactful because it improved her ability to secure her devices and social media profiles and broadened her understanding of digital rights. Her experience demonstrated the importance of accessible learning opportunities in efforts to reduce digital exclusion.

Public advocacy also contributed to efforts to secure the release of two individuals detained over online expression. The project’s media engagements, press conferences and collaboration with other advocates helped sustain public pressure around these cases.

Beyond individual changes, the project supported a wider network of digital rights champions who continued to share knowledge, engage the media and advocate for a safer and more inclusive internet in their respective communities.

Lessons Learned

The experience reinforced the value of combining training with step-down activities, media engagement and public advocacy. It also demonstrated the importance of accessible and inclusive training, sustained collaboration with journalists and civil society, and careful timing of high-level stakeholder engagements. Future national meetings would benefit from earlier planning and more targeted engagement with government representatives.

Sustainability and Continuing Value

CITAD will continue to promote digital rights, advocate for the passage of the Digital Rights and Freedoms Bill, and support citizens—particularly women and people with disabilities—to use the internet safely and meaningfully. The network of trained journalists, civil society leaders and digital rights champions provides a foundation for continued community-level awareness and advocacy.

The project also created opportunities for deeper institutional collaboration. CITAD secured a subsequent two-year European Union-supported project with Lawyers Without Borders and Spaces for Change to advance digital rights in Nigeria through monitoring, legal capacity building and public awareness. CITAD also planned further collaboration with the NHRC on institutional capacity for digital rights monitoring, with NIMC on digital identity inclusion, and with the Nigerian Data Protection Commission on data protection practices.

These partnerships, together with the skills developed among participants and the public visibility generated by the campaign, provide a basis for sustaining the project’s achievements beyond the grant period.

Conclusion

The Enhancing the Flourishing of Digital Rights in Nigeria project strengthened the capacity of journalists and civil society actors, expanded public awareness, supported women’s participation in digital spaces and built momentum for stronger protection of rights online. Through training, community outreach, media engagement, public dialogue and institutional advocacy, CITAD helped place digital rights more firmly within public and policy conversations.

Although the Digital Rights and Freedoms Bill was not passed during the project period, the intervention strengthened the network of advocates and institutional relationships needed to sustain the campaign. The knowledge, partnerships and community engagement established through the project remain important resources for advancing a free, safe, inclusive and rights-respecting digital environment in Nigeria.