in August 2014, a small group of people got together and brought to life the concept of internet freedom in Nigeria. In a nutshell Internet Freedoms are the rights afforded online, equivalent to those guaranteed offline. For many the concepts of online privacy, surveillance, freedom of expression, access to information, cultural diversity online and more are little thought of.
Emphasizing that the Internet is an enabling space and resource for the realisation of all human rights, including the right to freedom of expression, the right of access to information, the right of freedom of assembly, the right to freedom of opinion, thought and belief, the right to be free from discrimination in all forms, the right to education, the right to culture and language, and the right of access to socio-economic services;
Extract from the African Declaration on Internet Freedom
Today, Nigerian civil society organisation driven by the Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) continue pushing what is known as the Digital Rights and Freedom bill through the various government channels, reviews and sittings that hopefully will eventually see what will be a milestone for Internet Freedoms in Africa – especially in a time when freedom of expression online is threatened and more users turn to the internet as a source of information and an avenue for debate and dialogue.
ChewingStones 