Why We Released White Paper On Framework For Online Protection Bill- NITDA
By Stella Enenche, Abuja
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has said the release of the White Paper on the Framework for an Online Harms Protection Bill in Nigeria was aimed at sparking conversation that would contribute to the development of a comprehensive legal structure that protects citizens.
The agency in a statement signed on Thursday by the Director, Corporate Communications and Media Relations,Mrs Hadiza Umar, said the document was developed in partnership with Advocacy for Policy and Innovation (API), an Africa-focused non-profit dedicated to advancing digital innovation and inclusive policy development.
NITDA said the white paper does not represent only their opinion rather,it aggregated ideas based on research to guide regulatory options for meaningful engagement around online harms.
“The white paper was developed as part of a collaborative initiative to tackle the escalating challenge of online harm in Nigeria. It builds on the discussions and key insights from Nigeria’s inaugural Content Moderation and Online Safety Summit, hosted by API in July 2022.
“The white paper 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. It also 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,”.
Furthermore, the agency said the white paper would serve as a foundation for stakeholder engagement and developing a comprehensive, collaborative framework for a bill to protect Nigerians as we navigate online and interactive content.
“The white paper 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.
” Therefore, the white paper 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 white paper, 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,”the agency said.
