The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has thrown its weight behind the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in opposing parts of the proposed Nigeria Data Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2026, warning that the legislation could, in its current form, undercut constitutionally protected rights to free expression, access to information, and democratic participation.
In a statement issued Sunday, RULAAC’s Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said the organisation recognises the government’s duty to safeguard personal data, but insisted that duty cannot come at the expense of citizens’ fundamental freedoms.
“Data protection cannot become a pretext for expanding governmental control over digital spaces or introducing measures that facilitate censorship through indirect means,” Nwanguma said.
The group singled out clauses that would give regulators power to prohibit or shut down digital platforms over localisation non-compliance, cautioning that such authority could open the door to arbitrary restrictions reminiscent of Nigeria’s 2021 Twitter ban — a move the ECOWAS Court of Justice later ruled violated the right to freedom of expression.
RULAAC grounded its objection in both domestic and international law, citing Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution alongside Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, all of which guarantee freedom of expression and access to information.
“Broad discretionary powers that permit administrative authorities to block or prohibit digital platforms without robust judicial safeguards are inconsistent with these constitutional and international standards,” Nwanguma said, adding that any restriction on rights must meet the tests of legality, necessity, proportionality, and legitimate purpose.
The rights group argued that a secure, open digital environment underpins governance itself, noting that millions of Nigerians depend on digital platforms for journalism, civic engagement, education, entrepreneurship, and access to government services.
RULAAC joined SERAP in calling on the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the National Assembly to withdraw or substantially revise the offending provisions, and urged that any future amendments to the data protection framework go through broad, transparent consultation with civil society, the tech sector, academia, media, and other stakeholders.
The organisation also appealed to civil society groups, professional associations, media outlets, tech companies, labour unions, student bodies, and religious institutions to unite in defence of Nigeria’s digital and civic space.
“Silence is not neutrality,” Nwanguma warned. “Every citizen and institution that values democracy has a responsibility to oppose laws that unnecessarily erode civic freedoms or concentrate excessive regulatory powers over the digital public sphere.”
He said RULAAC remains committed to working with SERAP and other democratic actors to ensure Nigeria’s digital governance framework upholds constitutionalism, the rule of law, and respect for human rights.
