NHRC Strategizes To Defend Digital Rights As Officers Train On Tech Abuse, Privacy And AI

*Executive Secretary NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu while declaring the workshop open on Tuesday, 21st April, 2026

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has commenced two-day training for its legal and investigation officers to confront a new frontier of human rights violations unfolding in Nigeria’s digital space.

Declaring the workshop open at the Bukari Bello Auditorium in Abuja, Executive Secretary Dr. Tony Ojukwu, OFR, SAN said the Commission’s mandate must evolve as rapidly as the society it serves.

The rights to privacy, expression, and association, he stated, do not vanish when a Nigerian picks up a mobile phone. Instead, they face a new, complex, and often vulnerable environment where surveillance, data breaches, algorithmic discrimination, internet shutdowns, and online censorship are becoming daily realities.

He said officers of the Commission, are now frontline defenders of those rights.

The training, organized by the NHRC with support from Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) and Digicivic Initiative, is a direct response to rising complaints on digital violations.

Dr. Ojukwu told officers that the Commission cannot investigate, litigate, or advise government credibly without digital competence. He framed the human rights questions they must now answer: how to balance national security with digital privacy, how to protect citizens from online harm without stifling dissent, and how to ensure law enforcement in the digital space complies with constitutional and international standards.

Over two days, participants will deepen their grasp of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, the Cybercrimes Act 2015 as amended, and emerging jurisprudence from Nigerian courts.

Dr. Ojukwu cited the Federal High Court’s ruling in Akosa v. Eat & Go Ltd., which awarded damages for unsolicited marketing messages, as proof that the judiciary is ready to enforce digital rights.

He charged officers to align investigations and legal submissions with this progressive jurisprudence. The program also builds practical skills to probe unlawful data processing, privacy breaches by state and non-state actors, and the use of technology to suppress freedoms, while strengthening the Commission’s capacity to advise government and engage technology companies on rights compliance.

Dr. Ojukwu anchored the NHRC’s digital rights agenda on three principles. Technology must align with human rights values and empower citizens rather than oppress them. Protection requires collaboration with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, the Nigerian Communications Commission, civil society, and the private sector. And confronting artificial intelligence, surveillance tools, and algorithmic bias demands creativity and resilience in investigative methods.

He described internet access as a gateway right, insisting that by protecting digital rights, the Commission protects democracy and human dignity itself.

He urged officers to translate the training into action, noting that its real measure will be how effectively they apply the knowledge when responding to illegal phone searches, data sales, or online censorship.

The Learned Silk said the Commission will deepen institutional strategies for rapid response to digital violations and push for rights-based standards in all government technology deployments.

For the Commission, the position is unambiguous: in 2026, you cannot defend human rights if you do not understand the digital space where Nigerians now live, speak, trade, and dissent.

Participants applauded the training saying it will enhance the efficacy of their work as well as build more public confidence in the Commission.