Paradigm Initiative in partnership with Policy Alert and other local stakeholders, hosts a digital rights workshop in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

The workshop focuses on understanding and navigating the policy and regulatory landscape related to digital rights and its intersection with other subjects such as security, media, digital identity, business, as well as learning advocacy and engagement strategies for those who work or are interested in promoting and defending human rights online in Africa.

According to Adeboye Adegoke, Paradigm Initiative’s Digital Rights  Program Manager, “There is a growing interest in conversation around Digital Rights across Nigeria. Many citizens are curious about what seems to be an unending desire by the political class to restrict the digital space.”

“We have seen and heard about many cases of arrests of Journalists and citizens for expressions online in the Southern part of Nigeria and this requires a community response. This is why we have come to build the capacity of local actors in the 11 States of the South-East and South-South Nigeria, to build competency around civil society response to digital rights violations and learn useful advocacy strategies for specific contexts” Adeboye concluded.

Discussions at the workshop will explore topical issues around privacy and surveillance, digital identity, multistakeholder approach to digital policy, data protection, Internet shutdowns, content takedowns, freedom of expression online, digital security amongst others.

The two-day workshop comes at a time when the government is rolling out legislation such as the hate speech bill and the social media bill. The workshop is aimed at empowering participants with the understanding of digital policies and how they affect human rights.

Participants from the South South and South East regions of Nigeria (Abia, Akwa Ibom Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Rivers State) will also learn about various actors with the policy landscape.

About Paradigm Initiative

Paradigm Initiative (PIN) is a social enterprise that builds ICT-enabled support systems and advocates for digital rights in order to improve the livelihoods of under-served young Africans. The organization’s digital inclusion programs include a digital readiness school for young people living in under-served communities (LIFE) and a software engineering school targeting high potential young Nigerians (Dufuna). Both programs have a deliberate focus to ensure equal participation for women and girls.

The digital rights advocacy program is focused on the development of public policy for internet freedom in Africa, with offices in Abuja, Nigeria (covering the Anglophone West Africa region); Lome, Togo (Francophone West Africa); Yaoundé, Cameroon (Central Africa); Arusha, Tanzania (East Africa) and Lusaka, Zambia (Southern Africa).

Paradigm Initiative has worked in communities across Nigeria since 2007, and across Africa from 2017, building experience, community trust and an organizational culture that positions us as a leading social enterprise in ICT for Development and Digital Rights on the continent.

Paradigm Initiative is also the convener of the Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF), a pan-African bilingual Forum that has held annually since 2013.