By Mustapha Salisu
As part of its efforts to promote digital rights and press freedom in Nigeria, Avocats Sans Frontières France (ASF France), in collaboration with the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) and Spaces for Change (S4C), convened a high-level Digital Rights Situation Room to address critical issues surrounding online freedoms in the country.
The event, held on Tuesday at the Chelsea Hotel in Abuja, was organized under the framework of the Enhancing Digital Rights in Nigeria (e-RIGHTS) project. The initiative is funded by the Global Media Defence Fund (GMDF), with support from the European Union (EU) and UNESCO.
The Situation Room brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including government officials, digital rights experts, civil society organizations, and journalists to discuss on pressing issues such as digital freedom, protection of online expression, civic engagement in the digital space, and data privacy.
In her welcome address, Mrs. Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, Country Director of ASF France in Nigeria, emphasized that the Situation Room was aimed at promoting collaboration between law enforcement agencies and the media to address challenges related to press freedom and digital rights.
“The media plays a vital role in holding those in power to account, amplifying marginalized voices, and shaping public discourse. However, journalists often face harassment, intimidation, and violence in the course of their duties,” she said.
She further explained that Nigeria’s digital landscape has introduced new complexities to journalistic practice, including online censorship, surveillance, and misinformation. “Law enforcement agencies, as institutions responsible for maintaining law and order, have a crucial role in ensuring that journalists can operate safely and freely,” she added.
Mrs. Uzoma-Iwuchukwu called for a culture of mutual respect and cooperation between the media and law enforcement. She emphasized that a key objective of the Situation Room was to identify challenges, share best practices, and propose actionable recommendations to enhance media freedom and digital rights.
This includes the development of operational guidelines for law enforcement agencies when engaging with journalists.
Also speaking at the event, Mr. Ruben Alba Aguilera, Head of Governance, Security, and Migration at the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, observed that while issues like health, security, education, democracy, and the economy dominate national discourse, conversations on digital rights are often neglected.
With the rise of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), Mr. Aguilera stressed the need to critically examine their implications on national development and fundamental human rights.
“It’s important to highlight what digital rights are, and why they must be protected,” he said, adding that the Situation Room was designed to sustain the gains of the e-RIGHTS project and further promote digital rights across the country.
On his part, CSP El-Mustapha Sani, Officer-in-Charge of the Police Complaints and Response Unit (PCRU), spoke on how the unit was established to provide Nigerians with digital platforms to report police misconduct.
“Prior to its establishment, many Nigerians didn’t know how to report police misconduct, or were discouraged from doing so due to lack of action,” he said.
The PCRU, established under a former Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, allows the public to report misconduct via photos, phone calls, emails, Twitter, or WhatsApp. The call center operates 24/7 and accommodates Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba to ensure wider accessibility.
He noted that the PCRU was codified into law under the Nigerian Police Act of 2020, securing its place as a permanent feature within the police structure. Revealing that the current Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had directed commissioners in all states to establish PCRU offices, with physical offices already in operation in Lagos, Enugu, Rivers, Kano, and the FCT.
In a presentation titled “Bridging the Gap: Security Agencies and Journalists,” Dr. Abiodun Odusote, Senior Partner at Integrity Law Office and Professor of Law at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), examined the often strained relationship between journalists and security agencies in Nigeria.
He engaged participants in an interactive session, highlighting challenges such as lack of a comprehensive journalist database, mutual distrust, safety concerns during protests, misconduct, and the failure to recognize journalists’ specialized protection needs.
To improve relations, Dr. Odusote recommended regular dialogue, clear guidelines for information sharing, mutual fact-checking, neutrality from both parties, and capacity-building initiatives.
PRIME TIME NEWS correspondent who participated in the dialogue reports that the Situation Room concluded with several recommendations. Participants were advised to adopt cybersecurity best practices, including regular software updates, avoiding the use of identical passwords across platforms, using independent servers for data backup, and being cautious of algorithmic biases.
ASF France, a global human rights organization, has been operating in Nigeria since 2003 with the aim of improving access to justice and promoting human rights. The e-RIGHTS project seeks to ensure the protection and enjoyment of fundamental freedoms, particularly press freedom, in Nigeria’s evolving digital space.