Digital rights advocates (PIN), a social enterprise that provides ICT-enabled support services and promotes digital rights for underserved young Africans, have filed a lawsuit against the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) under the umbrella of the Paradigm Initiative.
According to the advocacy group, Nigerian agencies should have the legal power to make rules and laws and a framework or policy controlling, requiring, or prescribing data protection.
According to research done by the Paradigm Initiative, more and more people are getting access to the internet, and digital technology is being used more and more in business, healthcare, commerce, banking, and other parts of the economy. This means more laws and policies must be made to deal with these issues.
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PIN issued a statement.
Paradigm Initiative has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to answer the following questions in order to protect the rule of law:
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- “Can NITDA suggest or make a policy, structure, or set of rules that protects personal data in Nigeria?”
- Whether the NITDA may suggest or create a noncompliance policy, framework, or guideline.
The agency said that these issues are important for making current and future policies and rules because they ensure that responses to new risks are thorough and effective. This lawsuit will not affect the NITDA’s continued efforts to alter its statutes in order to provide its greater powers and to legalize activities that it has previously taken within the parameters of its present mandate.
“It is our right to make sure the rule of law is followed, especially by government regulatory agencies, while we wait for the court to decide the case.”
The National Information Technology Development Act (2007), which authorizes the development and governance of information technology in Nigeria, has long been cited as the source of NITDA’s operating rules. Therefore, by developing standards, guidelines, and regulations for that purpose, the National Information Technology Development Agency is given the authority by its enabling act to establish a framework for the planning, research, development, standardization, application, coordination, monitoring, evaluation, and regulation of information technology practices in Nigeria.
“This Act sets up the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to do all of its jobs.”
Paradigm Initiative defends African internet rights.
The Paradigm Initiative supports public policy in support of internet freedom in Africa by working to secure digital empowerment and foster a positive rights environment. Young Africans who are underserved are connected to digital possibilities via the Paradigm Initiative, which also assures the preservation of their legal rights.
Through our digital inclusion and digital rights projects, we seek to link underserved African youth with better livelihoods across our regional offices in Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and others.