Cybersafety: NITDA, API release whitepaper on framework for online harms protection bill

*The National Information Technology Development Agency, in conjunction with Advocacy for Policy and Innovation, releases a whitepaper on the framework for an online harms protection bill for stakeholder engagement to develop a comprehensive and collaborative document for a bill to protect Nigerian consumers navigating online and interactive content

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

As part of the agency’s collaborative efforts at tackling the escalating challenge of online harm in Nigeria, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has released a Whitepaper on the Framework for an Online Harms Protection Bill in the West African country.

NITDA said it developed the crucial document in collaboration with Advocacy for Policy and Innovation (API), an Africa-focused non-profit dedicated to advancing digital innovation and inclusive policy development.

Mrs. Hadiza Umar, fnipr, f.apra, Director of Corporate Communications and Media Relations at NITDA, who disclosed this development in a statement Thursday, December 12, 2024, in Abuja, FCT, affirmed the whitepaper was developed “as part of a collaborative initiative to tackle the escalating challenge of online harm in Nigeria.”

The statement noted: “It builds on the discussions and key insights from Nigeria’s inaugural Content Moderation and Online Safety Summit, hosted by API July 2022.

“The whitepaper provides context on the prevalence of online harms and the need for action, highlighting the government’s effort through various agencies to propose solutions to protect citizens and children online.”

Mrs. Umar also said the document “provides rich resources on relevant conceptual ideas critical to the debate on approaches for regulatory action to combat online harms.

“The paper further analyses efforts from other jurisdictions and proffers a range of ideas that can be considered for developing a framework in Nigeria.”

Key objectives of whitepaper

The Information Technology (IT) sector regulatory agency as well said the whitepaper would serve as a foundation for stakeholder engagement, and in developing a comprehensive, collaborative framework for a bill to protect Nigerian consumers when navigating online and interactive content.

“The whitepaper is not intended to be a final document to define the contours of online harm in Nigeria.

“Instead, it will be the basis for engagement with other relevant regulators, the security sector, civil society organisations, local and international Internet platforms, businesses and the wider public,” stated the NITDA Director of Corporate Communications and Media Relations.

The agency also noted: “Therefore, the whitepaper does not present the sole opinions of NITDA but rather aggregated ideas based on research to guide regulatory options for meaningful engagement around online harms.

“By releasing this whitepaper, NITDA and API aim to spark a national conversation on online harms and contribute to the development of a comprehensive legal framework that protects Nigerian citizens while fostering a vibrant digital ecosystem.”

Umar further said: “We urge stakeholders to read this paper thoughtfully and respond with comments, questions and suggestions to theOHPwhitepaper.secretariat@apiintelligence.org with all tips and recommendations.”

NITDA said the secretariat would collate such stakeholders’ responses and present them to the stakeholder groups for subsequent engagement before developing a relevant Bill.

“The agency thanks the steering team members, drawn mainly from Nigeria’s civil society, who participated in developing the whitepaper, and the Nigerian Human Rights Commission (NHRC) representatives for their efforts as steering team members.

“We also thank the project’s secretariat for their dedication and hard work in compiling the research to produce the whitepaper,” stated the agency.

The statement added: “We look forward to future engagements and conversations as we improve Nigeria’s digital economy and create a safe space for all to use the Internet as a shared resource.

“Please download or read the Whitepaper via this link: https://links.nitda.gov.ng/ohpb.”