The Digital Rights and Freedoms Bill (DRFB) is once again taking centre stage in Nigeria’s policy discourse as Paradigm Initiative (PIN) convenes a high-level Legislative Retreat on Strengthening Nigeria’s Digital Future through Rights-Based Legislation, holding from 21st to 22nd November 2025 in Lagos.
This retreat marks a significant effort to re-engage lawmakers on critical digital policy issues and to revive one of Nigeria’s most crucial rights-based technology bills in the context of a fast-evolving digital ecosystem.
Paradigm Initiative, a non-profit which advocates for digital rights and inclusion in the Global South, has been at the forefront of championing the Bill since its inception, mobilising national support and working with stakeholders to frame the protections needed for Nigeria’s growing digital ecosystem. The Bill, first introduced in 2016 with strong support from civil society, was passed by both chambers of the National Assembly in 2019 but was later declined presidential assent. This left a significant gap in Nigeria’s legislative landscape, even as concerns about digital rights continued to increase across the country.
With a new legislative dispensation and a rapidly evolving digital environment shaped by artificial intelligence, data-driven governance, and emerging online harms, Nigeria now has a significant opportunity to position the Digital Rights and Freedoms Bill within a modern and future-focused context. In collaboration with Avocats Sans Frontières France (ASF France) and the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), PIN is convening lawmakers, technical experts, civil society organisations, and policy leaders to conduct a detailed review of the Bill and re-examine its provisions against today’s digital realities. This retreat is not a restart of the process, but a deliberate effort to revive and strengthen a democratic initiative that was interrupted, ensuring that the Bill is updated, relevant, and responsive to the needs of the present era.
The retreat will also examine other key legislation of national importance, including Nigeria’s emerging Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bills, online safety measures, and related digital governance frameworks. Participants will work to ensure legislative coherence and alignment across all digital-related bills.
A spokesperson from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, one of the funders of the engagement, emphasised the importance of this moment, stating: “Protecting digital rights is essential to enhancing democratic values and public trust. While there has been a lot of focus on the digital economy, the economy cannot thrive without respected rights. We are proud to support this process, which brings legislators and civil society together to build a rights-respecting digital future for Nigeria.”
The retreat is also supported by the European Union (EU), whose ongoing commitment to governance, civic space, and digital transformation in Nigeria continues to reinforce multi-stakeholder collaboration in the sector.
Speaking ahead of the engagement, Khadijah El-Usman, Senior Officer, Programmes, Anglophone West Africa at Paradigm Initiative, noted that “the return of the Digital Rights and Freedoms Bill reflects an urgent need for Nigeria to adopt a comprehensive framework that protects citizens online while enabling innovation. The space of digital rights and online protection is currently fragmented and vulnerable. As digital challenges grow more complex, this is the right moment for the National Assembly to re-evaluate the Bill and strengthen digital rights protections for all Nigerians.”
The outcomes of this retreat will form the basis for renewed advocacy, legislative drafting, and parliamentary strategy aimed at reintroducing and advancing the Digital Rights and Freedoms Bill and other digital governance instruments.
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