Telecom
Coalition Urges Buhari to Review Decision on the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill
A coalition of civil society organisations promoting the objectives of digital rights in Nigeria and the rest of Africa has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to review his decision on the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill.
In a statement released on Friday, the Coalition said, “We write to express our disappointment in President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to decline assent to the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill, which was meant to protect Nigerian Internet users against the infringement of their fundamental freedoms and guarantee human rights online in Nigeria.”
In his explanatory letter to the National Assembly, the President declined assent to the Bill on the grounds that it covered too many technical subjects.
He also pointed out that some areas covered by the Bill are also covered by ‘various bills pending at the National Assembly’.
The Coalition said, “We, however, believe that these reasons are not valid enough for the President to decline assent to the Bill.
“The ‘various bills’ as referred to in the letter are still merely Bills which may or may not become laws.
“For instance, the Data Protection Bill (HB. 02) has been pending at the National Assembly for up to 8 years.
“Why then would the President miss an opportunity to fill the lacuna for these subject areas when a Bill duly passed by the National Assembly has been presented for assent? We make this assertion with the knowledge that no law or Bill is perfect.”
This is why there exist processes for reviewing laws through repeals and reenactments.
It is clear that the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill does not conflict with any existing laws or the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and it is uncommon that a Bill would be stood down because it could conflict with laws that might exist in the future.
We also cannot overlook the fact that Mr. President did not point out clauses of concern in the Bill as it was done for other Bills against which he had expressed his decision to decline assent.
It is important to indicate clauses of concern in order for citizens and observers alike to be aware of such clauses and review as needed.
Our opinion is that the decision not to sign the Bill is nothing short of a missed opportunity for Nigeria to send an important message to the rest of the world on its commitment to protect its citizens from abuse and create a positive regulatory environment for digital technology.
We, however, note the President’s expression of willingness to review the decision if concerns around the Bill are addressed.
As a coalition, we hereby assure Nigerians that we will be consulting all relevant stakeholders, including the National Assembly, to review this Bill and carry out the required legislative exercise and submit back to the President in earnest for consideration so that Nigerian citizens can be assured of the Buhari administration’s commitment to safeguarding human rights online in Nigeria.
In the wake of increasing geopolitical tension, Cassava Technologies has unveiled its National Sovereign Cloud offering for African governments.
The solution, the company claims, will help the continent’s governments ensure data is kept on infrastructure that remains under local legal and operational jurisdiction.
According to the official announcement, made yesterday, the solution provides “secure, locally-governed digital infrastructure that enables the deployment of AI-enabled public services”.
The overarching solution encompasses cloud, cyber security, AI computing infrastructure, as well as local language AI models and skills support for governments.
The announcement comes amid increasing uncertainty over the hosting of sensitive national data on cloud services operated by foreign hyperscalers, which are subject to legal frameworks, such as the U.S. CLOUD Act. The CLOUD Act opens the door to allow American authorities to access data stored on the servers of US hyperscalers, wherever those servers are physically located.
Cassava has claimed separately that currently, “approximately 33% to 45% of the world’s data is hosted in the USA”.
The company added: “A sovereign cloud reduces exposure to extraterritorial laws, improves cyber resilience, and ensures that model weights and training data for public AI remain under national custody.”
The Africa Data Centres Association’s 2026 Economic Report states that “data sovereignty has evolved from a legal aspiration into a strategic policy lever”.
Ahmed El Beheiry, Group COO and Group Chief Technology and AI Officer, Cassava Technologies said: “Across Africa, governments are accelerating their digital transformation agendas and are increasingly focused on ensuring that data and digital infrastructure remain secure and sovereign.”
Announced at the Mobile Word Congress in Barcelona, this week, the Sovereign Cloud offering launch accompanied the launch of Cassava’s Cloud Partner programme.
The partner programme targets mobile network operators and system integrators across Africa to resell and distribute AI, cloud, and other digital services using Cassava’s infrastructure and technology platforms.
El Beheiry added: “We are expanding Africa’s sovereign AI ecosystem to build solutions that address the continent’s unique challenges while creating new opportunities for growth and digital inclusion.”
The programme offers partners access to NVIDIA Cloud Partner solutions, Cassava’s AI Factory, its own native AI solutions and its AI Multi-Model Exchange, which supports both Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini models.
Mazen Mroue, a non-executive director at MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, has resigned effective February 27, 2026, to prioritise other responsibilities within the MTN Group, the company announced in a Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) filing.
MTN Nigeria
The notice, signed by company secretary Uto Ukpanah, stated: “This is to enable Mr. Mroue to focus on other priorities within MTN Group Limited. The Board wishes to express its appreciation to Mr. Mroue for his immense service to MTN Nigeria and wishes him success in his future endeavours.”
Mroue joined MTN Nigeria’s board on June 1, 2022, bringing over 28 years of telecom experience. A veteran MTN executive, he previously served as CEO of MTN Uganda and MTN Liberia, non-executive director at MTN Cyprus, and held leadership roles at MTN Ghana.
Since February 2022, he has been MTN Group’s Chief Technology and Information Officer, overseeing technology strategy and governance. Earlier, as MTN Nigeria’s COO from August 2018 to January 2022, he also sat on the MTN Nigeria Foundation board.
The exit follows MTN Nigeria’s stellar 2025 results, posting a ₦1.70 trillion profit before tax—reversing a ₦550.3 billion loss in 2024 driven by forex woes—marking one of the telco’s strongest rebounds.
Google has rolled out support for Yorùbá and Hausa languages in its AI-powered Search features—AI Overviews and AI Mode—enabling millions of Nigerians to get quick answers, summaries, and conversational web exploration in their mother tongues.
The update forms part of Google’s push to cover 13 African languages, including Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, Sesotho, Kiswahili, Setswana, Wolof, and isiZulu, selected based on high search activity across the continent.
Now, a Kano student can ask complex questions in Hausa, while an Ibadan trader seeks business tips in Yorùbá—both receiving culturally nuanced AI responses via text or voice on Android, iOS, or web.
Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s West Africa Communications Manager, said: “Building truly global Search requires nuanced local understanding. With Gemini-powered AI, we’ve made advanced capabilities relevant in Yorùbá and Hausa, so Nigerians converse naturally with Search in their mother tongues.”
To use: Open the Google app, tap AI Mode, and query in Hausa or Yorùbá for personalised guidance—breaking language barriers and making technology reflect Nigeria’s diverse identity.
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