Nigeria: National Information Technology Development Agency issued White Paper on the Framework for an Online Harms Protection Bill in Nigeria

On 12 December 2024, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) published a White Paper on the Framework for an Online Harms Protection Bill in Nigeria, developed in partnership with Advocacy for Policy and Innovation (API). The White Paper outlines a proposed regulatory framework aimed at addressing online harms such as cyberbullying, hate speech, misinformation, and child exploitation, while balancing the protection of digital rights and freedoms. It advocates for a co-regulatory approach involving government, civil society, and online platforms, emphasising transparency, accountability, and the establishment of a Centre for Online Harms Research and Coordination to oversee implementation and enforcement. The framework also proposes excluding end-to-end encryption (E2EE) from moderation requirements to uphold privacy and security.