In a strategic move to strengthen the protection of digital rights, judges of the Federal High Court and National Industrial Court in Nigeria have endorsed the Ikot Ekpene Declaration, a commitment to align with global digital rights standards.
Joined by officials from the National Human Rights Commission and the National Judicial Institute, the judiciary leaders outlined key principles in the declaration to guide the justice process in line with current standards in the digital age.
The declaration was made following a workshop on ‘Upholding Justice in the Digital Age: Strengthening Judicial Capacity on Digital Rights and Cyber Governance’ organised by Paradigm Initiative with the support of the Kingdom of the Netherlands under the Stemming the tide of Abuse in Nigeria’s Digital Space (STANDS) Project, which was held in Ikot-Ekpene, Akwa Ibom, Nigeria, from May 12th to 15th, 2025.
The workshop highlighted the slow pace of legislation specific to all forms of digital rights and the need to enforce justice in accordance with the law through the court system.
It aligned with the judiciary’s role in ensuring that fundamental rights, such as privacy, freedom of expression, and access to information, are protected in the digital era, not only keeping pace with global best practices but also contributing to shaping a legal environment where digital rights are upheld alongside justice.
Speaking at the workshop’s opening, Justice Salisu Garba Abdullahi, the administrator of the National Judicial Institute, highlighted the need for judges and judicial officers to thoughtfully examine how they can administer justice in a way that honours constitutional tenets and effectively addresses the challenges and opportunities of a growing digital society.
Gbenga Sesan, Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative while empasising the importance of the Juciciary being the last hope of the common man, mentioned that “the marriage between digital opportunities and digital economies, is strengthened by Jucicial oversight and the realities of our time to ensure that when humans are robotised and robots are humanised we are all safe.”
“We are in the era of digital manipulation, but we trust the judges to have an understanding of the issues of the time and to make the right decisions,” he stated further.
Khadijah El-Usman, Senior Officer for Anglophone West Africa, also reiterated the importance of conversations and outcomes, such as the declaration, in the evolution of processes aimed at guaranteeing justice and protecting digital rights.
“We are especially thankful to our partners, the Netherlands Embassy, for their support in making conversations like this happen,” said El-Usman.
