Stakeholders from various Civil Society Organizations and media have emphasized the urgent need to expand broadband access in Nigeria and digitise public services to drive economic growth and ensure that digital opportunities reach all segments of society, especially low-income and underserved populations.
The recommendations were made at a forum held on Thursday, August 15, 2024 at the United Nations House in Abuja, organized by the United Nations Nigeria in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, the World Impact Development Foundation (WIDEF), and the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR).
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The forum featured various members of civil society organizations in Nigeria, the media and the Nigerian Fact-checkers Coalition, where they deliberated and made contributions on the revised provisions of the Global Digital Compact ahead of the Summit of the Future UN Summit of the Future billed for September 22 – 23, 2024 in New York, USA.
The purpose of the Global Digital Compact is to establish an inclusive global framework, essential for multi-stakeholder action required to overcome digital, data, and innovation divides.
The compact is expected to outline principles, objectives, and actions for advancing an open, free, secure, and human-centered digital future for all, one that is anchored in universal human rights and that enables the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.
In his opening address, Programme Specialist for Culture at the UNESCO Nigeria, Philippe Delanghe, noted that the forum aimed to provide a vital opportunity to explore how digital transformation efforts can be realized within the framework of the global digital economy.
He emphasized UNESCO’s strong support for the initiative, which seeks to ensure that the Global Digital Compact fosters a safe and inclusive digital environment.
“UNESCO commends the Global Digital Compact for its role in fostering a safe and inclusive digital environment. We believe the government should prioritize pressing key issues such as digital skills, data privacy, cybersecurity, and the ethical use of technology,” he said.
He also noted that the discussion would play a crucial role in identifying how Nigerian civil societies can contribute to and benefit from the Global Digital Compact.
The representative of the Nigerian ministry of Communications, Salisu Kaka, noted that the document is a global guide on how the United Nations wants the world to move toward digital transformation.
“Largely, what is inside the document is about what we want to achieve; how to do that is left to the jurisdiction and the mandate of the member organizations to come up with their own approach and to manage the goal by implementing the initiatives,” he said.
The Editor of FactCheckHub and coordinator of the Nigeria Fact-checkers Coalition, Opeyemi Kehinde, emphasized the critical role of citizens participation in policy-making.
He said, “It is one thing for the government to pass laws on behalf of citizens; it is another thing for citizens themselves to get involved in how these policies are formulated.”
Kehinde, who represented The ICIR‘s Executive Director, Dayo Aiyetan, at the event, thanked the UN in Nigeria for the opportunity given to Civil Society Organizations and media to contribute to the Global Digital Compact for the UN summit and emphasized the value of such participation in having a lasting impact on the people’s digital future.
“In today’s world, we are not only dealing with artificial intelligence (AI) but also other emerging technologies that are constantly evolving. It is important to recognize that as these technologies emerge, they also pose threat to our collective peace and mutual engagement if not managed properly,” he noted.
Kehinde emphasized the need for multinational governments to incorporate citizens’ concerns into their policies, as exemplify by the Nigerian Civil Society Consultative Forum on the GDC hosted by UNIC.
In his closing remarks, the Director of the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Nigeria, Ronald Kayanja, said the interaction at the event has enriched the document that will be presented to the UN Secretary-General at the Summit of the Future holding in New York next month.
“Once this document is adopted at the summit, we should come back to see how it will be domesticated in Nigeria; what are the steps that Nigeria should take to ensure the digital future for all. We’ll do that after September and see how Nigeria will take this forward,” he told participants.
Other suggestions raised by the participants at the forum include the importance of cohesive data governance across government agencies and the establishment of digital governance infrastructures throughout Nigeria’s 774 LGAs to ensure effective and secure data management at all levels of government, thus enhancing the efficiency of public services.
Youth empowerment also featured prominently in the discussions, with a strong call for greater support for youth-led initiatives aimed at promoting digital inclusion, particularly in low-income and rural communities.
Participants also recognized the potential of Nigeria’s young population to drive innovation and growth in the digital economy if given the necessary resources and support.
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Moreover, the stakeholders advocated for strengthening Nigeria’s position in the global digital economy by promoting digital skills and products within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and on the international stage.
On Artificial Intelligence, they called for the development of robust national frameworks to mitigate potential harms and protect data privacy on online users in the country, in line with the National Mental Health Act of 2021.
Concerns were also raised about the suppression of press freedom by the Nigerian authorities and how the Nigerian Cybercrime Act is being used to victimize journalists and other vocal citizens in Nigeria.
Seasoned fact-checker and researcher Fatimah Quadri has written numerous fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy pieces for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or [email protected].
Nurudeen Akewushola is a fact-checker with FactCheckHub. He has authored several fact checks which have contributed to the fight against information disorder. You can reach him via [email protected] and @NurudeenAkewus1 via Twitter.
