By The Director General of the National Information technology Development Agency (NITDA),Mr Kashifu Inuwa, has advocated for ethical and responsible governance of digital technology in Africa.
Addressing global leaders at the 19th Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with the theme, “Building Our Multi-stakeholder Digital Future,” Inuwa lamented the unregulated rise of social media and the risks it posed, citing cases like the Cambridge Analytica scandal as a wake-up call for stricter digital oversight.
He noted Nigeria’s approach in tackling digital challenges through its Code of Practice (COP), a framework ensuring social media platforms adhere to Nigerian laws and respect cultural contexts.
According to him, the COP has enabled efficient content moderation, with over 60 million harmful posts removed in 2024 alone, while wrongly flagged content was reinstated.
This approach has also driven economic gains, with tech companies contributing more than N2.5 trillion in VAT within six months.
He urged African nations to unite in shaping global technology governance, stressing the importance of building digital sovereignty and strengthening regional capacities.
