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DATA PRIVACY: RULAAC Warns Data Protection Bill Could Give Nigerian Govt Sweeping Powers Over Social Media
DATA PRIVACY: RULAAC Warns Data Protection Bill Could Give Nigerian Govt Sweeping Powers Over Social Media
NEWS
The Nigerian Record
7/19/20263 min read
The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has thrown its weight behind the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in opposing provisions of the proposed Nigeria Data Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
The advocacy group warned that parts of the legislation could threaten freedom of expression, access to information and democratic participation.
In a statement issued on Saturday by its Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, the civil rights organisation urged the National Assembly to withdraw or substantially amend sections of the bill that it said could empower government agencies to arbitrarily restrict access to digital platforms.
RULAAC warned that while Nigeria needs a stronger data protection regime, such reforms must not become a tool for censorship or expanded state control over the digital space.
"The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) expresses its unequivocal solidarity with the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) over its opposition to aspects of the proposed Nigeria Data Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which, if enacted in their current form, could undermine constitutionally guaranteed rights to freedom of expression, access to information, and democratic participation," the statement read.
The organisation said it recognised the government's responsibility to safeguard personal data but insisted that any reforms must comply with the Nigerian Constitution and the country's international human rights obligations.
"Data protection cannot become a pretext for expanding governmental control over digital spaces or introducing measures that facilitate censorship through indirect means," RULAAC stated.
It expressed particular concern over provisions that could empower regulators to prohibit or shut down digital platforms for failing to comply with data localisation requirements.
According to the group, such powers risk arbitrary restrictions on digital communication and mirror the circumstances surrounding the Federal Government's suspension of Twitter in 2021.
"Such sweeping powers create a real risk of arbitrary restrictions on access to digital platforms and could produce consequences similar to the 2021 suspension of Twitter in Nigeria, which the ECOWAS Court of Justice found to be incompatible with the right to freedom of expression," it said.
RULAAC argued that Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution guarantees every Nigerian the right to freedom of expression, including the freedom to receive and impart information without interference.
The organisation added that the constitutional guarantee is reinforced by Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), both of which protect freedom of expression and access to information.
"Any limitation on these rights must satisfy the well-established principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, and legitimate purpose. 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," the statement said.
RULAAC further warned that millions of Nigerians depend on digital platforms for journalism, civic engagement, education, business, innovation, political participation and access to government services.
It therefore called on the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the National Assembly to either withdraw or substantially revise the contentious provisions of the bill.
The organisation also advocated broad consultations with civil society organisations, technology companies, media practitioners, academics and digital rights groups before any amendments to the country's data protection framework are adopted.
RULAAC urged civil society organisations, professional bodies, media organisations, labour unions, faith-based groups, student associations and technology stakeholders to unite in defending Nigeria's civic space.
"The preservation of digital freedom is not merely a technological concern; it is a constitutional imperative and an essential condition for accountable governance, public participation, and the protection of human rights," the group stated.
It added, "At moments such as this, silence is not neutrality. 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."
RULAAC reaffirmed its commitment to working with SERAP and other democratic actors to ensure that Nigeria's digital governance framework upholds constitutionalism, accountability, openness and respect for fundamental human rights.