BY AHMED TAHIR
A Civil Society Organisation, Accountability Lab Nigeria has called for collective action by stakeholders in halting the rising incidences of digital rights violation in Nasarawa State.
Speaking at a One-day community-focused workshop on digital rights, data protection, and accountability, in Lafia, the Country Director of Accountability Lab Nigeria, Mr. Odeh Friday, acknowledged that the menace undermines development and threatens the rights to privacy of citizens.
He advocated for comprehensive legal reforms, civic advocacy, and institutional accountability among others as measures to address the challenge.
He noted that CSOs and journalists have critical role to play in the ongoing efforts to protect citizens from abuse through intensive advocacy and education.
According to him, such effort can be achieved through ethical reporting practices that emphasises consent, strict confidentiality, and responsible data handling.
Also speaking, the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Associate of Accountability Lab Nigeria, Alfred Ijeloesa Agu called on to help amplify voices against abuses.
He called for.establishment of network of advocates and local actors who can promote awareness, support affected persons, and contribute to inclusive and accountable digital governance in the state.
According to him, the workshop being supported by Luminate, aims to help the participants better engage in multi-stakeholder discussions on digital rights, online safety, and the Nigeria Data Protection Act.
He said platforms such as Ripoti, has been assisting in reporting and tracking rights violations as well as holding institutions and individuals accountable for breaches of their digital rights.
He noted that people can report their rights violations on the Ripoti platform in English, French, Swahili, and in Portuguese, as a way to receive complaints from other African countries apart from Nigeria.
Also, the Gender Associate, Accountability Lab Nigeria, Akakan Markson emphasised that the current digital age requires immediate, collaborative, and structured action to protect citizens online.
She noted that the workshop was designed to address the unique digital rights challenges facing diverse demographics in the state, including community members, journalists, students, women, and creatives.
”We must move beyond mere conversations and toward a shared understanding and actionable framework that strengthens the protection and promotion of digital rights across Nasarawa State”, she stated.
Our correspondent reports that the workshop was organised with support from Luminate, the Country Director advocated that residents of the state should explore emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence as part of ways to ensure their data protection.
