Governments should proactively share relevant information in a timely manner, updated on a regular basis.
Publish information across mainstream media, social media, channels, and through mediums and languages accessible to segments of the population across the digital divide
Governments should proactively share relevant information in a timely manner, updated on a regular basis.
Governments should designate official spokespersons and data sources in relevant government departments to minimize the likelihood of conflicting messages.
Ensure that emergency powers that temporarily restrict these constitutional rights are subject to limitations within the framework of relevant international legal frameworks, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Ensure that emergency powers’ scope and limitations are clearly defined, including procedural and legal requirements as well as theright to recourse under the domestic constitution.
Strengthen legal frameworks on the role of national human rights institutions, and create mechanisms for them to partner with civilsociety to carry out their role
Designate specific units within governments that can immediately identify and counter misinformation trends, while avoiding punitive measures that could lead to censorship.
State agencies should refrain from conducting propaganda campaigns. Media and civil society have an important role to play in monitoring and flagging state-led disinformation campaigns.
Ensure that any new executive orders or legislation that target hatespeech meet the limits of proportionality, necessity, and legality asoutlined in international human rights law.
Ensure that accountability and redress for curbing hate speech on social media platforms lies with the government rather than theonline platforms themselves.
Open, secure, and accessible internet is particularly key for essential workers and the public to access critical information in a timely fashion and also gain access to economic markets andresources. Governments should refrain from blocking access to theinternet or placing restrictions on data speeds.
Being honest with people and giving them access to information in way they can consume, in a way that promotes non-discrimination
Enabling all individuals genuine access to the tools of communication necessary to learn about the public health crisis and the steps necessary to protect themselves and, if they are health-care workers (formally or informally), to care for others.
Ensuring that people have the tools to confront and correct disinformation, and in particular avoiding taking the kinds of steps that will deter the sharing of critical information at a time of crisis.
i. So far, the government of Nigeria has made efforts to publish necessary information regarding the Covid-19 pandemic in a timely manner through various mediums and respective authorities. The NCDC gives a daily update of the Covid-19 situations highlighting the number of new cases, number of deaths, number of recovered persons and overall number of affected cases (https://ncdc.gov.ng/diseases/sitreps/?cat=14&name=An%20update%20of%20CO VID-19%20outbreak%20in%20Nigeria).
ii. April 3, 2020. The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) advised broadcast stations to desist from programmes with spurious claims that may undermine the seriousness of the pandemic, and will not hesitate to impose severe sanctions on any station that allows unverifiable claims on its platform. Lately, there have been preponderance of programmes with unverifiable claims targeted at the Covid-19 pandemic. However, they commended the commitment of broadcast stations in creating awareness and enlightening the masses. https://nbc.gov.ng/posts/covid-19-broadcast-stations-advised-to-avoid-programmes-with-spurious-claims.
iii. October 27 2020. The NBC fined 3 stations (Channels, Arise and AIT) 3 million naira each, for alleged inappropriate coverage of the #EndSARS protest and Lekki shooting of unarmed protesters.
iv. March 27, 2020. The National broadcasting commission directed all Pay Subscription Broadcasters (GOTv, DSTV, NTA Startimes, FreeTv Platform, etc) in
Nigeria to decrypt all local channels on their bouquet to enable subscribers’ access to their services without hindrances for an initial one-month period.
This is to ensure the public has access to information/ keep Nigerians adequately informed at this time.
https://www.nbc.gov.ng/posts/press-release-decryption-of-local-channels-on-pay-tv-platform
https://twitter.com/DigiCommsNG/status/1245433188366811136?s=20
v. The various government agencies through their various social media handles (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.), disseminates real time information.
vi.August 13, 2020. The director reforms Bureau of Nigeria inaugurated the IMTT on the Conference for Digital Innovation for Improved Public Service Delivery & Civic Engagement at a webinar session. The Conference seeks strong involvement of solution providers in the implementation of e-govt. in Nigeria. https://twitter.com/bpsr_ng/status/1293957008530583552
vii. At the peak of the Covid-19 lockdown, the Presidency barred certain media houses from covering its activities to manage information, limit the number of people at a gathering and enforce the social distancing protocol. https://www.thexpressng.com/2020/03/25/punch-others-barred-from-covering-presidential-villas-activities/
viii. March 9 2020: the presidency established a Presidential Task Force to coordinate and oversee Nigeria’s multi-sectoral inter-governmental efforts to contain the spread and mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. The Presidential Task Force (PTF) which is the central coordinating body on the COVID-19 response, is set to develop a workable National Response Strategy reviewed on a daily basis as the requirements change. The Federal Ministry of Health is working closely with states and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, to review response activities and to institute measures to protect the health of Nigerians. http://statehouse.gov.ng/covid19/objectives/.
In a bid to curtail the spread of Covid-19, the government of Nigeria rolled out measures that restricted the constitutional rights of people. Such as the
travel ban, movement restrictions, social distancing measures, among others.
https://www.orderpaper.ng/coronavirus-what-the-law-says-on-fg-state-governments-movement-restrictions/
https://f5p3e9e4.stackpathcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/IMPLEMENTATION-GUIDELINES-FOR-EASING-LOCKDOWN-F1.pdf
There have been cases of violations of human rights by the security force (Police). The Nigeria National Human Right Commission (NHRC) have recorded some of these violations. The report finds that the Nigeria Police Force accounted for about 90% of the total cases of violations followed by the Nigeria Army and Nigeria Correctional Service and other non-state actors. The report also finds that 31 incidents of violations representing about 29% of the complaints have been resolved by different security agencies. https://www.nigeriarights.gov.ng/nhrc-media/press-release/100-national-human-rights-commission-press-release-on-covid-19-enforcement-so-far-report-on-incidents-of-violation-of-human-rights.html
The National Human Right Commission (NHRC) has been proactive in tracking human right situations and violations in Nigeria. In April 15, 2020. A report was done on the Covid-19 enforcement on incidents of violation of human rights and measures that have been put in place to ensure the rights of citizens are protected uring the pandemic (such as hotlines). The report (covering 30th March, 2020 to 13th April, 2020) shows that a total of 105 complaints were monitored/received from twenty-four States (24) out of the 36 States of the federation - https://www.nigeriarights.gov.ng/nhrc-media/press-release/100-national-human-rights-commission-press-release-on-covid-19-enforcement-so-far-report-on-incidents-of-violation-of-human-rights.html
10 May 2020. An updated report (between 13th April to 4th May, 2020) on the state of human rights violations was released by the NHRC. The report shows that a total of 104 complaints were monitored/received from twenty-seven States (27) out of the 36 States of the federation including the FCT. https://www.nigeriarights.gov.ng/nhrc-media/press-release/104-report-of-alleged-human-rights-violations-recorded-between-13th-april-to-4th-may-2020- following-the-extension-of-the-lockdown-period.html
i. In a bid to ensure the public are not misinformed, the presidency released a speech deterring the public from involving in propaganda news, some states have imposed sanctions and prosecuted culprits in this regard (Link can be found in states data).
ii. NCDC- Fake news
iii. August 4, 2020. Federal Government launched the reviewed sixth Broadcasting Code of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). It was unveiled by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed. Among other things, this code prohibits hate speech and raised the fine from N500,000 to N5million. https://www.channelstv.com/2020/08/04/fg-launches-amended-broadcasting-code-says-hate-speech-fine-now-n5m/
iv. Radio stations and other media outlets were warned of the dangers of misinforming the public and the sanctions that will be given to defaulters.
v. August 13, 2020- the NBC fined Nigeria Info 99.3FMLagos (a radio station) for unprofessional broadcast. Accordingly, this was as a result of the ‘unprofessional conduct’ of the Station in the handling of the Programme, “Morning Cross Fire”, aired on August 10, 2020, between 8.30am and 9.00am. This was expected to serve as a deterrent to all other broadcast stations in Nigeria who are quick to provide a platform for subversive rhetoric and the expositions of spurious and unverifiable claims, to desist from such. https://www.channelstv.com/2020/08/13/mailafia-nbc-fines-radio-station-n5m-for- unprofessional-broadcast/?fbclid=IwAR3Eyt2gR-lqXyfYapb34z74pgCH51xCkCvFvOyF0twUXhE38qS_bSXvs-I.
vi. August 13, 2020. The Board of the NBC kicked against the amendments to the sixth edition of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code. Accordingly, management of the commission did not undertake a proper consultation before making the amendments to the code.The former minister decried that the amendments to the code were capable of destroying investments in the nation’s broadcast sector. https://www.channelstv.com/2020/08/13/nbc-board-disagrees-with-lai-mohammed-rejects- amended-nbc-code/?fbclid=IwAR1WFerd48Syf_QSQ8m6XVdZ2behz5uMgXo5ACqwWxsghSF4DVSJKSp86mE.
vii. The government in the past has passed legislations to curb the circulation of hate speeches in the social media platforms (such as the National Commission for the Prohibition of Hate Speeches Bill, 2019), but due to the nature of the bill, it the moment, there is no legislation solely for hate speech.
viii. November 3, 2020. The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) threatened to sue the Northern Governors’ Forum and the National Assembly and the social media bill is passed. https://www.channelstv.com/2020/11/03/serap-threatens-to-sue-northern-governors-nass-over-proposed-social-media-bill/
i. Various Networks provided free services to access certain websites with Covid-19 related information to ensure the public have access to basic information (MTN and others…include the link). In Nigeria, it is commendable that the government does not block access to the internet, however, the data costs are on the high side and data speeds are based on various internet service providers.
ii. The right of way fee licence/reduction-governments that have made pronouncements on the right of way.
Through the state government social media handles, information about Covid-19 was shared in various platforms
• Abia - Facebook: @abiastategovernment, Twitter: @Abiastategov, https://twitter.com/NCDCgov/status/1285274214208020481?s=20
• Adamawa - Facebook: @AdamawaSG, Twitter: @Adamawa_Gov
• Akwa Ibom - Facebook: @aksgovt, Twitter: @aksgovt
• Anambra - Facebook: @AnambraStateGovernment, Twitter: @Anambrastate_ng
• Bauchi - Facebook: @BauchiStateNigeria, Twitter: @BauchiState
• Bayelsa - Facebook: @BayelsaStateGov, Twitter: @BayelsaStateGov
• Benue - Facebook: @benuestategovernment, Twitter: benuestate.gov.ng
• Borno - Facebook: @bornostategovernment, Twitter: @BornoGovt
• Cross River - Facebook: @crossriverstate, Twitter: @crossriverstate
• Delta -
Facebook: @DSGovernment,
Twitter: @DeltaState_Ng
• Ebonyi -
Facebook: @ebonyionline,
Twitter: @EbonyiGov
• Edo -
Facebook: @EdoStateGovt,
Twitter: @EdoStateGovt
• Ekiti -
Facebook: @ekitistategov,
Twitter: @ekitistategov
• Enugu -
Facebook: @EnuguGovNewsUpdate,
Twitter: @GovUgwuanyiNews
• Gombe -
Facebook: @gombestategovt,
Twitter: @GombeStateGovnt
• Imo -
Facebook: @GovtOfImoState,
Twitter: @GovtOfImoState
• Jigawa -
Facebook: @jigawastategovernment,
Twitter: @StateJigawa
• Kaduna -
Facebook: @govkaduna,
Twitter: @GovKaduna
• Kano -
Facebook: @kanogovt,
Twitter: @KanostateNg
• Katsina -
Facebook: @katsinagov
• Kebbi -
Facebook: @kbstgovt,
Twitter: @KBStGovt
• Kogi -
Facebook: @LugardHouse,
Twitter: @LugardHouse
• Kwara -
Facebook: @followkwsg,
Twitter: @followKWSG
• Lagos -
Facebook: @followlasg,
Twitter: @followlasg
• Nasarawa -
Facebook: @NasarawaGovt,
Twitter: @NasarawaGovt
• Niger -
Facebook: @NigerStateNG,
Twitter: @NigerStateNG
• Ogun -
Facebook: @OGSG_Official,
Twitter: @OGSG_Official
• Ondo -
Facebook: @ondogov,
Twitter: @ondogov
• Osun -
Facebook: @StateofOsun,
Twitter: @StateofOsun
• Oyo -
Facebook: @OyoStateGovernment,
Twitter: @oyostategovt
• Plateau -
Facebook: @PLSGov,
Twitter: @PLSGov
• Rivers -
Facebook: @rvsgng,
Twitter: @rvsg_ng
• Sokoto -
Twitter: @SokotoGovtHouse
• Taraba -
Facebook: @tarabagovt,
Twitter: @tarabagovt