People have always been at the heart of Paradigm Initiative’s (PIN’s) work. They have been turning the organisation’s wheels of change for close to two decades. From a tiny cybercafé in the pulsating heart of Lagos, Nigeria, to the big cities of Africa, this change has been palpable, moving slowly but surely. Across Accra, Ghana; Nairobi, Kenya; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; and Lusaka, Zambia, just to name a few, the impact is evident. The organisation’s freshly released 2025 Annual Impact Report reads like a dispatch from the front lines of a quiet revolution, one being waged in courtrooms, classrooms and community centres across Africa.
The Year That Tested Everyone
The year 2025 was not easy for the fight for digital rights. Governments across the continent rushed to deploy digital infrastructure, including identity systems, cybersecurity blueprints, and online service platforms, often without the requisite rights-based guardrails. New cybersecurity laws were passed in record time, and Internet shutdowns were wielded as political tools. Journalists, women, young people and marginalised communities bore the heaviest brunt. Funding for civil society organisations also shrank, demanding a clarifying question from our Executive Director, ‘Gbenga Sesan, despite the challenges, did we make a real difference? The response, backed by the year’s worth of evidence, is a resounding yes!
The Numbers That Tell the Story
During the year under review, through our programme streams, PIN directly reached 3,829 individuals across 25 countries through capacity-building, convenings, research outputs, and digital engagements. The stakeholders included judges, teachers, journalists, university students, law enforcement officers, and community members who left the organisation’s programmes with new tools, sharper skills, and changed perspectives. Notably, 282 judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement officers were trained in Ghana, Nigeria, and Zambia, professionals who now carry the banner of digital rights principles into courts and enforcement institutions that shape how laws are enforced. The results of this effort? Two groundbreaking declarations: the Ikot Ekpene Declaration from Nigeria’s judiciary and the Accra Communique from Ghana, both representing formal institutional commitments to rights-based adjudication in the digital age.
In the corridors of justice, PIN’s 11 active litigation cases across five countries have advanced digital rights, including a landmark ruling in Nigeria (Araka vs Domino’s), which resulted in a Federal High Court award of ₦3,000,000 (about $2,000). This was in addition to building digital skills and financial readiness among 721 young people across 12 countries through our flagship programme, LIFE (Life Skills, ICTs, Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship) Legacy. We also engaged 638 university students through the Digital Rights and Inclusion Board Learning Experience (DRIBLE) during university tours in Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, Nigeria, and Zambia, turning digital rights literacy into an interactive, fun game. In the same breath, 214 teachers were trained, equipping them to empower the next generation.
Lifeline to One Million Users
As we showcase results of our programmatic work, a heartwarming story from South Sudan is worth telling. In the year, a social media directive threatened to restrict access for more than 739,000 Facebook users and 324,000 TikTok users. The situation was averted through coordinated advocacy by PIN and the organisation’s Net Rights Coalition partners, leading to the directive being lifted. As a result, more than one million users of the two platforms retained access to information during a politically sensitive period. The coalition, comprising 410 members from across 30 countries, has been instrumental in coordinating efforts to defend the digital civic space across borders. The membership has grown from 362 in 2024.
Reaching Hearts and Screens
PIN is a strong believer in the power of storytelling, a tactic we have continued to weave into our communication to widen our reach by simplifying complex reports through short films. By the end of December 2025, our five films – Training Day, Focus, Finding Diana, Undersight and Whispers in the Wires – had secured a cumulative viewership of 18.6 million. Our latest film, Whispers in the Wires, garnered 2 million views and won 6 awards. These numbers represent millions of moments when each viewer encountered the idea that digital rights matter. In addition to the films, our social media reach reached 23.8 million, and our media coverage appeared across publications with a consolidated reach of 3.07 billion. The annual Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF) brought together 623 delegates from over 60 countries under the Digital Ubuntu theme, which embodied collective dignity.
Voices Behind the Data
Our interactions with various stakeholders yielded powerful testimonies about our work. A law enforcement trainer with 33 years’ service described the Stemming the Tide of Abuse in Nigeria’s Digital Space (STANDS) workshop as one of the best he had ever attended, highlighting the confidence it gave him to teach trainees about data protection laws, digital surveillance, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) policing. A LIFE Legacy participant reflected on how the training had influenced their internet use, making it more intentional and focused on safety and responsibility. A Digital Rights and Inclusion Learning Lab (DRILL) fellow said the programme had energised them as well.
Looking to 2026
Although the funding environment remains challenging and civic space is under pressure, we continue to exercise prudence and harness resources entrusted to us by our funders and partners, building momentum and plans to continue implementing projects and programmes that will lead to systemic change. As much as we have been able to do impactful work, millions more are waiting. We are committed to continuing this cause in 2026 and beyond.
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