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Group Calls for Robust Legal Frameworks to Uphold Human Rights Online
As countries worldwide commemorate International Human Rights Day, Paradigm Initiative (PIN) is calling for the enactment of robust legal frameworks that uphold human rights online.
The organisation underscores the importance of respecting rights and supporting the development and enforcement of laws in a human-rights-respecting manner in the Global South. These include strong data protection laws that safeguard the right to privacy and legislation governing automated decision-making systems to mitigate potential biases. This, PIN adds, would ensure human rights are realised as the future remains secure.
“Governments should address systemic issues that hinder the enjoyment of human rights and take the necessary steps to support an independent judiciary to ensure the impartial administration of justice and upholding the rule of law,” said Bridgette Ndlovu, the organisation’s Partnerships and Engagements Officer.
This year, International Human Rights Day is commemorated under the theme “Our rights, our future, right now.” The theme focuses on how human rights are a pathway to solutions, playing a critical role as a preventative, protective and transformative force for good. Paradigm Initiative (PIN) also highlighted the crucial role of digital rights in safeguarding human dignity and promoting social justice.
In securing a rights-respecting digital future, the organisation applauded the positive developments throughout 2024 and supported efforts to safeguard human rights online. Countries in the Global South, such as Malawi, Ethiopia, and Syria, made notable strides in advancing digital rights by enacting data protection legislation establishing guidelines for processing, storing, and sharing personal data. Botswana repealed its archaic data protection law and adopted a new Data Protection Act.
Equally, enforcement of data protection legislation gained momentum as countries such as Tanzania, in the case of Safari Automotive Limited vs. Godwin Danda, awarded compensation to the data subject after the automobile company published a video clip of the data subject on social media without consent.
In Kenya, taxi hailers Bolt Operations OU and Bolt Support Kenya were fined for failing to properly handle an incident and escalate it according to established protocols. The incident happened when unauthorised parties accessed a data subject’s Bolt driver account, performed fraudulent trips and altered the data subject’s account details, violating the data subject’s right to access personal data and correct false or misleading data.
In Kenya, data subjects were awarded compensation after offenders were found liable for commercial use of data subjects’ personal data without consent. Angola fined offenders who failed to protect data subjects’ personal data from cyber-attacks. Benin published decisions and resolutions that specify the certification of DPOs, and Brazil published two resolutions that define the activities of DPOs and regulate international data transfers.
In Nigeria, in the case of Folashade Moleshin vs United Bank of Africa, a Paradigm Initiative-supported case, the judiciary handed a judgement in favour of the complainant after a data breach reported on PIN’s Ripoti platform, promoting privacy.
PIN acknowledged the judiciary’s role in adjudicating cases brought before the courts and parliamentary oversight in innovations within the justice system, in particular, in Zimbabwe, where parliament produced an adverse report on the Integrated Electronic Case Management system, citing negative consequences for public participation due to limited access to the internet.
The organisation asserted that human rights online are crucial and legislation should be people-centred and provide robust safeguards for personal data, including measures to prevent unauthorised access and surveillance. Countries such as South Africa, Mauritania, Nigeria, and Zambia published National AI Strategies to safeguard human rights from risks that may arise from automated decision-making.
The African Union Executive Council endorsed the Continental AI Strategy and African Digital Compact at the regional level to set the pace and provide a framework for harmonising laws. At the international level, nations adopted the United Nations Global Digital Compact and countries such as Cote d’Ivoire acceded to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. Kenya is also planning to accede to the Convention.
Despite the outlined positive developments, significant challenges remain in the Global South with PIN condemning the actions of countries such as Mozambique, Mauritius, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Comoros, and Kenya, which shut down the internet this year.
These negative actions undermined human rights, suppressed dissent and had a chilling effect on freedom of expression. Going forward, governments ought to halt the practice of internet shutdowns and uphold the right to free expression so that individuals can freely impart information and engage in political discourse in line with the ideals set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948.
The UK Government has announced the appointment of Mr Peter Vowles as the next British High Commissioner to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Mr Vowles succeeds Dr Richard Montgomery CMG and is expected to take up his post in Abuja in September 2026. Dr Montgomery remains in post until that time.
Mr Vowles brings extensive diplomatic and development experience to the role, having served as His Majesty’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe from 2023 to 2026 and previously as Ambassador to Myanmar from 2021 to 2022.
He has held senior leadership positions across the FCDO and its predecessor department DFID, including as Transformation Director and Director for Asia, Caribbean and Overseas Territories.
Earlier in his career, Mr Vowles worked in international development across South Asia, Central Africa and East Africa, including postings in Bangladesh, India, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya. He began his career in Zimbabwe, where he worked in education and development.
Peter Vowles said: “I am honoured to be appointed as British High Commissioner to Nigeria. Nigeria is a country of immense importance to the United Kingdom, and I look forward to working closely with Nigerian partners to strengthen our relationship across trade, development and security.”
World Bank has ranked the Apapa and Tin Can Island Port complexes in Lagos among the world’s 20 most improved ports in its 2025 Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), released in June 2026.
The ranking places both ports in the “Top 20 Port Improvement Since 2020” category, reflecting significant gains in operational efficiency and vessel turnaround time.
The CPPI is a global benchmark used to assess the efficiency of container ports based on factors such as cargo handling speed, ship turnaround time and overall logistics performance.
According to the report, the improvement highlights ongoing reforms and modernization efforts within Nigeria’s maritime sector.
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr Abubakar Dantsoho, attributed the recognition to ongoing policy reforms and infrastructure upgrades in the sector.
He said the development reflects the impact of economic policies of President Bola Tinubu and the support of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola.
“With the investor-friendly policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu providing the impetus for increased investment to drive our port infrastructure and equipment modernisation programme, coupled with the unflinching support of the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, we have all it takes to further enhance trade facilitation, improve competitiveness and boost the national economy,” he said.
The NPA said the recognition is expected to strengthen investor confidence in Nigeria’s maritime sector and enhance the country’s position as a regional trade and logistics hub.
It noted that improvements in port operations are already contributing to increased efficiency in cargo movement and reduced delays at key terminals.
The authority also pointed to ongoing efforts to modernise port infrastructure and expand digital systems aimed at improving service delivery.
Earlier in February 2026, the NPA said the federal government had intensified efforts to position Nigeria as a leading maritime destination through port rehabilitation and modernization projects.
It also highlighted public-private partnership initiatives, including developments at the Lekki Deep Sea Port, as part of broader reforms aimed at improving efficiency and attracting investment.
The CPPI ranking is expected to further boost Nigeria’s maritime profile and encourage additional investment in the sector.
As digital payment adoption continues to grow across Nigeria and emerging markets, the next phase will depend not just on innovation, but on the strength, reliability, and trustworthiness of the infrastructure behind it.
While the ecosystem has made clear progress in recent years, trust remains a critical issue for users, businesses, and operators alike. Questions around resilience, security, interoperability and transaction reliability continue to shape how the market evolves and how confidently digital payments can scale.
These issues will be central to the deliberations at Digital Pay Expo 2026, where fintech leaders, payment operators, and other ecosystem stakeholders will gather under the theme, “Seamless Digital: Fostering Pan-African Market Expansion in the Era of AI.”
PalmPay’s participation reflects its continued commitment to building trusted and scalable payment infrastructure, while contributing to the broader industry efforts to strengthen systems, standards, and partnerships needed to support long-term ecosystem growth.
Speaking ahead of the event, Olorunfemi Hanson, Head of Marketing and Communications at PalmPay Nigeria, said: “As the financial services ecosystem continues to grow, trust and reliability become even more important.
“The industry’s next phase will be shaped not only by innovation, but by the strength of the infrastructure supporting it. Digital Pay Expo provides an important platform to address the resilience, interoperability, and trust issues that will shape the future of digital payments growth across Africa.”
The event, scheduled to be held from the 17th to the 18th of June, 2026, will feature Chika Nwosu, Managing Director of PalmPay Nigeria, alongside other distinguished guests, including the Director-General, Payment System Management Department (PSMD), Central Bank of Nigeria. The event will examine how the industry can balance innovation, regulation, and scalability while strengthening trust across the digital payments value chain.
For PalmPay, this event reinforces its role in supporting a more resilient, secure and scalable payments ecosystem for Nigeria and emerging markets more broadly.
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