As Nigeria pushes deeper into the digital age, the House of Representatives has urged journalists and parliamentary media aides to build stronger expertise in scrutinising digital and technology-related legislation to ensure informed public discourse.
The call was made by the Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Rep. Akintunde Rotimi, during a one-day joint retreat for parliamentary correspondents held in Abuja.
The retreat, organised in collaboration with civil society group, Paradigm Initiative Nigeria, focused on the growing need for technically informed reporting on complex issues such as data protection, cybercrime, and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Rep. Rotimi said the House is committed to safeguarding citizens’ digital rights through robust and forward-looking legislation, stressing that the media plays a critical role in holding lawmakers accountable.
“Democracy thrives when citizens are well-informed,” he said. “Clear and reliable information fosters public engagement and accountability.”
He urged journalists and parliamentary media teams to approach the coverage of digital and technology laws with balance and depth, noting that such reporting would help Nigerians better understand the real-life implications of emerging legislation.
Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria, Mr. Gbenga Sesan, linked Nigeria’s ambition of building a trillion-dollar economy to strong digital governance and security frameworks.
Sesan called on the National Assembly to fast-track key digital-related bills, including the Nigeria Data Protection Act, Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Bills, Digital Rights and Freedom Bill, National Digital Economy and e-Governance Bill, amendments to the Cybercrimes Act, and the Child Online Access Protection Bill.
Also, the Chairman of the House Press Corps, Gboyega Onadiran, said journalists must adapt to a rapidly evolving environment shaped by data, algorithms, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and online rights.
He assured that the House Press Corps remains committed to making parliamentary activities clearer, more accessible, and relevant to Nigerians.
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The retreat was attended by the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the FCT, Grace Ike, and the Chief Executive Officer of the National Assembly Library Trust Fund, Henry Nwawuba, both of whom charged participants to take advantage of the training to sharpen their understanding of legislative processes and digital rights issues.
Participants at the event expressed satisfaction with the training, describing it as a timely and necessary step towards strengthening media capacity in reporting on digital governance and legislative affairs.
