The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in partnership with Advocacy for Policy and Innovation (API), convened a one-day workshop in Abuja to advance dialogue on the draft Online Harm Protection (OHP) Bill, aimed at confronting the rising tide of harmful online content.

The Bill is a rights-based, locally rooted, and multi-stakeholder initiative designed to address the challenges of the digital age.

The event, held in Abuja on Monday, brought together government officials, civil society, academics, digital platforms, and legal experts to shape a policy framework designed to combat online ills such as cyberbullying, disinformation, hate speech, digital exploitation, and gender-based violence, while safeguarding democratic freedoms and promoting digital inclusion.

In his keynote remarks, NITDA Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, called for a paradigm shift in the way society engages with digital technologies.

“For almost two decades, we have viewed digital technology through a consumer lens. But these technologies are not just products and services; they are transforming how we live, work, and interact. They shape our politics, our society, and our democracy,” Inuwa said.

Warning against unaccountable digital power in the hands of private corporations, he compared the digital journey to the story of Alice in Wonderland, where initial fascination with innovation has shifted to deeper concerns about privacy, autonomy, and manipulation by big tech platforms.

“We thought we were using Google, but now we realise Google is using us. Social media, once a tool of expression, has become a tool of surveillance and influence,” Inuwa noted.

He therefore emphasised the urgency of developing a democratic and accountable framework.

“We must balance the roles of government, private sector, and civil society. This is not a law for the government alone. It is for all of us, as citizens,” the DG stated.

He explained that following the 2021 Twitter ban, NITDA facilitated dialogue between the government and platform operators, leading to a Code of Practice that emphasised Nigeria’s sovereignty and legal standards.

According to him, the same process gave rise to the multi-stakeholder steering committee and the OHP White Paper in December 2024, laying the groundwork for the current legislative push.

“We cannot leave the design of these powerful systems to software engineers alone. This is beyond code; it is social engineering. We need everyone on board to ensure this technology works for society, not against it,” he advocated.

To institutionalise this framework, Inuwa proposed the establishment of an Online Harm Protection Centre, a semi-autonomous body that will coordinate stakeholders, alongside a governance council, redress panel, and independent oversight mechanism involving civil society and media representatives.

Earlier in her opening remarks, API Co-Founder Victoria Manya noted the moral and civic necessity of the bill.

“The internet did not break society; it merely revealed its unfiltered version. Every day, Nigerians are exposed to harassment, disinformation, exploitation, and even algorithmic violence. The OHP Bill is not a war on the internet. It is a peace offering to its users, a social contract for a digital future that is safe, inclusive, and democratic,” Manya said.

She added, “We cannot answer the question of algorithmic power with unchecked state control. We must answer it with shared, rights-based governance. This bill must not be written for the people, but with them.”

Manya also highlighted the uniqueness of the process that gave rise to the bill, noting that it was grounded in local realities but informed by global lessons.

“Instead of siloed, reactive policies, we convened a steering group of legal scholars, digital platforms, civil society, and analysts to shape a smarter, safer, and more inclusive framework.

“The question before us is what kind of online Nigeria do we want to build; one shaped by fear and exploitation, or one anchored on fairness, rights, and responsibility?” she queried.

Participants at the workshop welcomed the open, consultative process, emphasising the need for transparency, inclusion of marginalised voices, and swift but fair mechanisms for redress.

The draft bill, they agreed, should embody the lived realities of everyday Nigerians, from the elderly woman exploring Facebook to the young activist on X, and the local innovator navigating limited connectivity.