Daud Olatunji
As part of ongoing efforts to enhance Nigeria’s cybersecurity legal framework, the Senator representing Ogun Central Senatorial District, Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salis, has announced that a Cybersecurity Legislative Summit will be held in July 2025, with the aim of harmonizing perspectives from key national and international stakeholders.
Speaking during a live radio programme in Abeokuta, Senator Salis disclosed that the summit is being organised in partnership with the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, which is responsible for the administration of the country’s criminal justice system, and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), which oversees the nation’s security architecture.
“We are bringing together all relevant institutions — the Attorney-General’s office, the NSA, and even international bodies such as the United Nations and the European Union — to ensure that the cybersecurity law we are working on reflects the collective concerns, safeguards, and inputs of all stakeholders,” he said.
The Senator, who currently chairs the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, noted that the summit will also feature key players in the criminal justice system, including judges, to ensure proper understanding and fair interpretation of the eventual legislation.
“We are not back to the Idiagbon era,” Senator Salis assured. “The law will be interpreted by the judiciary, and offenses will not be defined based on what is merely displeasing to government officials, but on clear legal principles. Freedom of speech will be respected.”
The lawmaker also expressed concern over the increasing misuse of social media, noting that technological advancements — particularly the ease with which individuals can disseminate harmful content — have created serious reputational and emotional harm to individuals and families.
“In the past, journalism operated within rigorous checks and balances to verify facts before publication. But now, with just a 10-megabyte file, someone can destroy reputations,” he lamented.
Citing a recent case, Senator Salis recalled an incident involving a widely circulated intimate video falsely claimed to feature a senator from Zamfara State.
“I was on a professional platform when someone claimed the man in the video was a senator, suggesting all senators were backing the Senate President because they were involved in sexual harassment. I had to intervene and clarify that the man was not a senator, not from Zamfara,” he said.
He added, “The family of the senator named in the false claim approached me in distress. As Chairman of the Cybersecurity Committee, I involved law enforcement, and investigations revealed the perpetrator only posted the video to gain social media followers. That single act has brought shame and pain to an innocent family.”
While reiterating the National Assembly’s commitment to protecting fundamental rights, Senator Salis called on media practitioners — especially those on social media — to uphold ethical standards.
“We are not out to constrain freedom of expression, but we plead with practitioners to exercise responsibility. Freedom must come with accountability,” he urged.
He also highlighted the self-regulatory mechanisms already in place in traditional journalism, such as the Nigerian Press Council and the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria, which he said should inspire similar accountability in the digital media space.
Senator Salis concluded by assuring journalists of their inclusion in the legislative process. “We will invite your group to the summit. We want to hear your concerns and challenges so that we can develop a law that is fair, effective, and inclusive,” he said.
The summit is expected to be a significant milestone in Nigeria’s effort to strengthen its legal response to the evolving threats of the digital age, without compromising civil liberties or press freedom.
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