Nigeria Dialogue Flags Platform Accountability Gap Amid Digital Harms

The increasing power of technology platforms over what Nigerians see, share, and believe has created an accountability gap, demanding greater scrutiny from both digital platforms and regulators. This concern was central to a multistakeholder dialogue in Abuja, organized by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID).

The event brought together newsroom leaders, journalists, regulators, and civil society actors to examine Nigeria's response to emerging digital harms while protecting freedom of expression. Discussions focused on how the digital environment, from social media scams to AI-generated misinformation, is rapidly reshaping daily life, outpacing traditional accountability systems.

Dapo Olorunyomi, CEO of CJID, noted that significant power has shifted from governments to private technology companies. These platforms now dictate communication, commerce, politics, and information access, controlling visibility and spread through algorithms that are difficult for citizens and regulators to understand. "They write rules for participation, enforce those rules, adjudicate our nations, and increasingly make consequential decisions through algorithms that most citizens cannot see," Olorunyomi stated.

Olorunyomi stressed that the growing influence of tech companies requires a reevaluation of traditional accountability, which has primarily focused on governments. He warned that a digital environment lacking meaningful accountability could expose citizens to fraud, exploitation, manipulation, and privacy violations. Conversely, poorly designed online safety regulations could become tools for surveillance, censorship, and restrictions on civic freedoms.

Akintunde Babatunde, Executive Director of CJID, added that the dominance of technology platforms has fostered a new form of digital citizenship. Nigerians are increasingly subject to decisions made by companies they have no role in electing or governing, impacting their livelihoods, relationships, and access to information. The challenge, Babatunde noted, lies in creating institutions that can constrain power without unduly restricting freedom.

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They write rules for participation, enforce those rules, adjudicate our nations, and increasingly make consequential decisions through algorithms that most citizens cannot see.