Nigeria Needs Legal Framework To Tackle Harmful Online Content – Reps Committee

By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan

The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Digital Information, Communication Technology and Cybersecurity, Hon. Adedeji Stanley Olajide, has said that Nigeria needs a comprehensive and inclusive legal framework to tackle the rising tide of harmful online content threatening the country’s digital landscape.

Hon Olajide expressed this in Abuja, while addressing stakeholders at a high level one day workshop organised jointly by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Advocacy for Policy and Innovation (API), focused on advancing dialogue around the draft Online Harm Protection (OHP) Bill.

The lawmaker representing Ibadan North-west/Ibadan South-west federal constituency of Oyo state
emphasized that the time has come for Nigeria to urgently adopt a comprehensive and inclusive legal framework to tackle the rising tide of harmful online content threatening the country’s digital landscape.

” We cannot pretend that these threats don’t exist. Every day, young people, women and even government institutions suffer damages due to misinformation, cyberbullying, identity theft and the spread of harmful content online”, he said.

Hon Olajide added, “The time to act is now, and it must be through a process that is inclusive, open and consultative”.

According to Hon Olajide, the Bill was long overdue, stressing that Nigeria’s digital space has remained largely unregulated in the face of rising threats and abuses.

The lawmaker said the Bill, when passed, would not only address harmful online behaviours but also ensure that Nigeria aligns with global best practices in digital governance, adding that the draft was developed through a transparent multi-stakeholder steering committee that emerged from the December 2024 White Paper on Online Harm Protection, which outlined guiding principles and policy direction for regulating online safety in the country.

“We want this Bill to reflect the realities of Nigerians. It is not about censorship, but protection. It is about building a resilient, safe, and inclusive digital space where rights are respected and responsibilities are clearly defined,” Olajide noted.