The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has raised alarm over the worsening state of digital rights observance at the state and local government levels in Nigeria.
The concern was raised at an engagement the centre organized recently in Kano.
In a statement on Friday, Ali Sabo, Digital Rights Lead, CITAD, described the development as unfortunately, saying “this responsibility is being largely ignored”.
CITAD called on civil society organisations and the media to intensify public awareness, expand digital rights advocacy beyond Abuja and Lagos, and continue monitoring and reporting abuses.
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The statement reads, “Nigeria operates a federal system in which responsibilities are shared across federal, state, and local governments, as provided under Sections 2–7 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). While Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution, their role today is undeniable. Digital technologies now underpin governance, education, health, commerce, and civic participation—many of which fall under the Concurrent Legislative List. This clearly places responsibility on state governments not only to deploy ICTs for development, but also to protect the digital rights of citizens.
“Our newly developed Policy Brief on the State of Digital Rights Observance at the State Level documents a disturbing pattern of abuses—particularly at state and local government levels—where citizens are increasingly arrested, detained, or harassed for expressing opinions online. Over the last six months alone, CITAD has responded to several digital rights cases across Kano, Jigawa, Niger, Katsina, and Kwara States.
“On 10 November, Comrade Abiyo Roni, an indigene of Roni Local Government in Jigawa State, was arrested for criticising his local government chairman over a youth empowerment initiative on social media. In Kwara State, a blogger, Ajala Adeshina Shuaib, was arrested and detained following allegations of defamation after criticising a senator. In Kano State, we recorded similar cases involving Murtala Garba Doka, Shamsu Safiyanu Lambu, and Zakariyya Kabeer Gwagwarwa, a serving corps member arrested following the order of a political office holder.”
According to the centre such digital rights violations occurring among private individuals, often driven by ignorance.
The statement added, “CITAD recently handled a case involving a minor whose video was recorded without consent at a family event and circulated widely on social media, leading to ridicule, emotional trauma, and eventual withdrawal from school. In another case, a woman in Kano discovered her image had been used without consent in advertising materials by a textile merchant. While the matter was settled out of court, it highlights the widespread lack of understanding of privacy and consent in the digital age.”
“More disturbing are cases involving women and girls—particularly online harassment, privacy violations, and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images. In the last two years, several young women have lost their lives after interactions initiated on social media. Despite the severity of these violations, they are often not recognised or treated as digital rights issues by authorities or the public.|”
CITAD’ urged state governments must take responsibility, saying “Since ICTs fall within the Concurrent Legislative List in practice, states must move beyond deploying digital tools for revenue generation or surveillance and begin to protect citizens who use digital platforms.”
“We therefore call for urgent action across three policy layers: first, the domestication of existing federal digital rights and data protection policies; second, the development of state-level digital rights frameworks, including on emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence; and third, the harmonisation of existing laws to prevent conflicts with contemporary digital rights standards.”
