As more Nigerians migrate their daily lives to the digital space, questions of freedom, privacy, and rights online are becoming central to the country’s democracy. This was the focus of discussion on Voices of Freedom on Adamimogo 105.1FM, where journalist and digital rights advocate Abdulwasiu Olookoba examined how liberty translates into the digital era.
“The rights we know offline; right to life, privacy, freedom of expression must equally be respected online,” Olookoba argued. “The challenge is that Nigeria lacks a comprehensive law that explicitly guarantees these freedoms in the digital space.”
Olookoba recalled efforts between 2017 and 2019 to push the Digital Rights Protection Bill through the National Assembly. Though passed by lawmakers, it never received presidential assent under Muhammadu Buhari. “We are still pushing for that bill to become law,” he said, warning that without it, online freedoms remain vulnerable to arbitrary state actions.
Yet, the absence of the bill does not mean Nigerians are without recourse. “The constitution still protects expression,” he explained, “but in the digital age, the boundaries are more complex.”
Free Speech and Its Limits Online
Also at the heart of the discussion was freedom of speech, a right Olookoba described as guaranteed but not absolute. “You can speak your mind on X, Facebook, or Instagram, but that freedom has legal limits,” he cautioned. Defamation, once largely a civil matter, has now been criminalized under Nigeria’s Cybercrime Act of 2015, amended in 2023.
“Anything you post online must be backed by evidence. If you call someone a thief, you must be able to justify it with proof,” he said, noting that courts allow a “defense of justification” if the claims can be substantiated.
The Data Dilemma
Beyond speech, Olookoba warned about careless exposure of personal data. “Media companies thrive on the data you willingly put out. Once your information is online, it can be used against you,” he said. He urged Nigerians to think critically before sharing details about their personal lives, stressing the constitutional right to privacy as a shield that only works when individuals exercise discretion.
“Ask yourself: what benefit do I get by putting this information out? What risk am I exposing myself to?” he said.
For Olookoba, the digital frontier is not separate from Nigeria’s broader democratic struggle. “In 1999, when democracy returned, social media didn’t exist here. Today, our politics, our protests, even our private lives are online. If we don’t secure freedom in the digital space, we can’t say we are truly free in the physical one.”
The discussion highlights a growing consensus among journalists and rights advocates that the next battleground for freedom in Nigeria will not only be in parliament or on the streets, but also on the screens of millions of citizens.
