The Nigeria’s House of Representatives also known as the Green Chamber, has passed the
Digital Rights and Freedom Bill (HB. 490), reports ITRealms.
The piece of legislation, ITRealms reports, was passed on
Monday and is proposed for “an act to provide for the Protection of Human
Rights Online, To Protect Internet Users in Nigeria From Infringement of their
Fundamental Freedoms and to Guarantee Application of Human Rights for users of
Digital platform and/or Digital Media and for Related Matters.”
The Bill was first conceived by Paradigm Initiative working
with the NetRights Coalition in 2013 and its drafting was finalised in 2015. It
was introduced to parliament in April 2016 by its sponsor, Hon. Chukwuemeka
Ujam, and has now successfully completed its journey through the House of
Representatives at the plenary session on December 19, 2017.
According to Adeboye Adegoke, Program Manager of Paradigm
Initiative, “Paradigm Initiative is elated by this news because the Netrights
Coalition we lead has put in serious effort in seeing the idea to
fruition. We believe strongly in the
potential it has to make a great impact in the development and recognition of
digital rights in Nigeria. And we hope that after its passage, other African
countries, and indeed the world, would follow suit.”
In his remark, the sponsor of the bill, Hon. Chukwuemeka
Ujam said, “The Bill has come a long way and will proceed to the Conference
Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives for further approval
before the final assent by the President; hopefully with no hitches.”
He continued, “the content of the Bill is laudable and
brilliant. It is clear evidence of what can happen when the government involves
its citizens in lawmaking and governance, and I am proud to sponsor it.”
Digital rights and freedom are increasingly gaining
relevance with increasing advocacy in Nigeria. Several civil society
organizations exist to ensure that the rights recognized offline are on-boarded
to the digital space as well. This is simultaneously in accordance with the
advocacy going on internationally.
Paradigm Initiative leads advocacy for these rights in
Africa and has embraced policy and legislative intervention as a way to protect
digital rights in Africa. The organisation has for years actively spearheaded
projects and partnered with other interested civil society groups in ensuring
that digital rights are upheld in Africa.
Reacting, the Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative, ‘Gbenga Sesan,
said that he believes this was a notable moment in 2017.
"And news like this
strengthens our faith in the Nigerian legislative system; in believing that
laws which are of significant benefit to citizens are also taken seriously by
our lawmakers. We look forward with renewed hope to the next stage of this
process at the Senate,” he said.
Nonye Dom/GEE
Pix; Hon. Yakubu Dogara, Speaker, House of Representative.
No comments:
Post a Comment