e-RIGHTS project partners with Nigerian activists to produce advocacy videos on digital rights

e-RIGHTS – Enhancing Digital rights in Nigeria

The e-RIGHTS project is aimed at promoting the rights of Nigerians in the digital sphere, harnessing opportunities and addressing challenges provided by new technologies. The project will respond directly to the needs of Nigerian youths, activists, journalists, online news platforms, bloggers, social media influencers, human rights defenders, and active citizens to have access to a free and open internet.

The availability of a safe space for online interaction and engagement of internet users is one of the greatest threats to internet users particularly youths, activists, and active citizens. In recent years, Nigeria has tried to legislate laws to restrict use of social media. The now infamous ‘social media’ bill was eventually not passed by the National assembly owing to stiff opposition by young people. It was clear that the bill targeted freedom of young people to express themselves using the social media platform. It was also a tool to stifle dissent.

As early as 2014, there were reports of digital rights violations perpetrated by the Nigerian government. The Ban of Twitter by the Nigerian government is another example of intolerance for dissent. The ban specifically shut down the major online platform that Nigerian youths had utilised to mobilise for the #EndSARS protest against government brutality. Many active citizens and youths who participated in the #EndSARS campaign on Twitter were targeted by the government. Some were arbitrarily arrested, the international passport of some were confiscated while some protesters have their bank accounts frozen. Some of these incidents were untracked for lack of a unified safe platform to engage and report such attacks to trigger action and support.

It is in this context that the e-RIGHTS project will provide a safe online platform for citizens engagement, to report and monitor issues of digital rights breaches including data privacy breaches, cyber threats, internet shutdown and threat to the social media space and to ensure prompt response to cases reported. The project will not only improve access to these beneficiaries but will also ensure protection of their rights to freedom of expression and assembly online.