Telecom
NIN-SIM Linkage: SERAP Writes Buhari over ‘Unlawful Access To Subscribers Details’
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to use his good offices and leadership position to urgently review and rescind the reported approval for security agencies to access people’s personal details via NIN-SIM linkage without due process of law.
The appeal was contained in a letter dated February 5, 2022, and signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, deputy director, SERAP.
The organisation urged the President to “send executive bills to the National Assembly to repeal and reform all laws, which are inconsistent and incompatible with Nigerians’ rights to privacy, dignity and liberty.”
The development followed reports that some security agencies have received presidential approval to access people’s personal details via the database of the National Identity Management Commission in the course of carrying out their duties.
SERAP believes that the reported approval to allow security agencies to access people’s personal details via NIN-SIM linkage without due process of law directly interferes with the privacy, dignity and liberty of individuals.
It also believes that a failure to rescinded the reported approval may cause millions of law-abiding Nigerians to feel that their private lives are the subject of constant surveillance.
“The interference entailed by unlawfully or arbitrarily accessing people’s personal details is far-reaching and must be considered to be particularly serious,” the statement read in part, adding: “Interference with an individual’s right to privacy is not permissible if it is unlawful or arbitrary”.
“The power to access individual’s details raises serious concerns as to their arbitrary use by the authorities responsible for applying them in a manner that reduces human rights and democratic principles by the monitoring and surveillance of millions of Nigerians.
“It is crucial to rescind the approval, and respect the autonomy of individuals to receive and share information of a personal nature without interference from the authorities, if unintended adverse consequences are to be avoided.
“The risk of arbitrary or abusive interference shows the importance for your government to comply fully with the requirements of legality, necessity, and proportionality.
“The right to privacy allows Nigerians to hold opinions and exercise freedom of expression without arbitrary or illegal interference and attacks.
“Private conversations of individuals – which belong to their intimate sphere and contribute to their personal development – also enjoy strong legal protection and can only be limited based on the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality.
“The reported presidential approval to security agencies does not align with the principle that any restriction on human rights capable of limitation should be the least intrusive means possible, and shall be necessary and proportionate to the benefit sought.
“Violations or abuses of the right to privacy might affect the enjoyment of other human rights, including the right to freedom of expression and to hold opinions without interference.
“SERAP notes that the right to privacy can enable the enjoyment of other rights and the free development of an individual’s personality and identity, and an individual’s ability to participate in political, economic, social and cultural life.”
“In relation to the requirement of legality, any limitation must be expressly, exhaustively, precisely, and clearly provided for in a law in the formal and material sense. It is not enough that the restrictions be formally approved by the president or by any other competent body: they must also be sufficiently clear, accessible and predictable.
“Similarly, measures restricting enjoyment of the right to privacy must comply with the principle of proportionality, meaning that they must not unduly interfere with other rights of the persons targeted.
“In the digital age, protecting the right to privacy requires exceptional attention. While acknowledging the challenging issues that your approval may seek to address, SERAP is seriously concerned that this may be used as a pretext by security agencies to violate Nigerians’ right to privacy and other related human rights.
“The undermining of the universality of fundamental human rights, alongside the potential encroachment upon the enjoyment of the right to privacy raised by the presidential approval, suggests the urgent need to review the matter, and rescind your approval, consistent with constitutional and international standards.
“SERAP notes that the relationship between data principals and the authorities involves a power imbalance. Nigeria ought to provide the leadership in developing a data protection framework that is fully consistent and compatible with the protection of the fundamental and inalienable right to privacy.
“According to reports, some security agencies have received your approval to access people’s personal details via the database of the National Identity Management Commission in the course of carrying out their duties. The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami reportedly conveyed the approval to the relevant security agencies.
“Mr Pantami also reportedly stated that the approval would enhance security as it would help security operatives to go after kidnappers and other criminals.
“The approval would now allow security agencies to access the data of the over 73 million Nigerians who have linked their National Identity Number with their SIM, and other people who may do so.
“While the effectiveness of the fight against serious crime may depend to a great extent on the use of modern investigation techniques, such an objective of general interest, however fundamental it may be, cannot in itself justify the unlawful or arbitrary interference with the right to privacy.
“Unlawful or arbitrary access to people’s personal details would contravene section 37 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended), article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and article 5 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which protect against arbitrary or unlawful interference with one’s privacy.
“Any constraints upon the right to privacy must strictly comply with the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality. These requirements are included in the Nigerian Constitution and the human rights treaties to which Nigeria is a state party.
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest”.
The letter was copied to Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and Mr Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy.
d Digital Economy.
Dr. Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission – NCC has urged the newly inaugurated Nigeria IPv6 Council to develop a credible pathway to raise Nigeria’s IPv6 adoption from approximately 5% today to a level that places us among Africa’s leading nations within the next three years.
He stated this at the inauguration of Nigeria IPv6 Council in Lagos yesterday. Quoting APNIC’s 2026 global measurements, “Nigeria’s IPv6 adoption stands at approximately 5% while leading economies have surpassed 40%. Global IPv4 reserves are exhausted, while the rapid expansion of 5G networks, the Internet of Things, cloud services, and AI-driven applications has pushed the limits of legacy internet addressing.
“At the same time, the cyber-threat landscape continues to intensify. In this context, IPv6 is a strategic necessity for national competitiveness, security, and economic sovereignty.”
Dr. Maida urged the Council to drive collaboration between stakeholders to ensure alignment with the National IPv6 Deployment Strategy.
“To our operators, government colleagues, and enterprise partners, the time for the adoption of, and prioritisation of IPv6 deployment across your networks and platforms is now. Invest in training your technical teams,and ensure that your infrastructure and procurement pipelines are IPv6-ready by default. The investments you make today will determine Nigeria’s digital competitiveness tomorrow.”
The commission mandated the Council to establish a monitoring and reporting framework; Including providing quarterly progress updates to the Commission and an annual State of IPv6 Deployment report to the nation.
More so, drive capacity building and certification by partnering with AFRINIC, academic institutions, and professional bodies to train a critical mass of IPv6-certified engineers across Nigeria.
Champion public sector leadership by working with MDAs to migrate government networks, websites, and e-services to dual-stack or IPv6-native configurations, so that the public sector leads by example.
Engage industry players and the private sector, working with operators, ISPs, data centres, content providers, and financial institutions to remove deployment barriers and unlock private investment in IPv6 infrastructure.
They were also urged to advise on policy and regulation, recommending to the Commission the incentives, standards, and procurement guidelines required to accelerate nationwide adoption.
Mr. Muhammed Rudman, chairman of the Nigeria IPv6 Council in his presentation said that With IPv4 addresses exhausted worldwide, continued reliance on legacy resource creates scalability bottlenecks.
“Our growing digital economy is projected to reach $18.3 billion in revenue by 2026—requires modern addressing capabilities. Without urgent IPv6 transition, Nigeria risks being left behind as emerging technologies like 5G, IoT, and cloud services demand the expanded address space only IPv6 can provide
“IPv6 is essential for Nigeria’s digital transformation, providing the foundation for unlimited connectivity, enhanced security, and next-generation technologies that will drive economic growth and innovation.
“IPv6 provides 340 undecillion IP addresses, ensuring every device in Nigeria can connect directly to the internet without costly workarounds or address sharing.
“Built-in IPsec encryption improves network security. Enables IoT, cloud computing, AI, and smart city initiatives critical to Nigeria’s digital economy, he added.
As a catalyst for National Development, he said IPv6 enables expansion of digital services, e-commerce platforms, and fintech solutions, driving economic diversification and job creation across Nigeria.
“Expanded internet access reaches underserved communities while seamless device integration connects millions of Nigerians to the digital economy.
IPv6 provides the foundation for IoT deployments, smart city initiatives, and AI-powered services that will transform Nigeria’s technological landscape,” he stated.
Telecom
DG NITDA Calls for Urgent Action on AI-Driven Cyber Threats, Announces More Stakeholder Engagements
Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has raised concerns over the rapidly evolving cybersecurity risks driven by artificial intelligence, urging immediate and coordinated national action.
Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
Speaking ahead of the formal inauguration of a proposed cybersecurity advisory council, Inuwa disclosed that the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy plans to convene at least two additional stakeholder engagement sessions.
According to him, the move underscores a deliberate commitment to inclusivity and transparency, mirroring the collaborative framework adopted in developing Nigeria’s National AI Strategy.
He explained that the increasing integration of artificial intelligence into everyday systems has significantly altered the cybersecurity landscape, introducing more complex and unpredictable threats.
“AI is changing the game and elevating the threat landscape. The more we integrate AI into our lives, the more we need to change the way we look at cybersecurity. There are two fundamental issues we need to think about,” he said.
The NITDA boss highlighted the dual nature of emerging threats, noting that cyberattacks are now being carried out both on AI systems and through AI technologies, thereby expanding the scope and scale of vulnerabilities.
He further warned about the rise of advanced AI-driven social engineering tactics, particularly the growing use of deepfake technology.
“We are also witnessing increasingly sophisticated AI-driven social engineering. The emergence of deepfakes makes it difficult to distinguish between AI-generated audio or video and authentic content.
“There have even been instances where such technology is used during virtual calls,” he noted.
“This is the reality of the world we live in today, and it is not a challenge any single entity can address in isolation. The only way forward is to strengthen collaboration and deepen synergy between governments and the private sector,” he added.
Inuwa stressed that cybersecurity resilience depends heavily on collective responsibility, cautioning that weaknesses within any single organisation could expose entire networks to risk.
“We are only as strong as our weakest link. If one entity is compromised, it creates risks for others within the network,” he stated, referencing recent incidents in which financial institutions were exploited to gain access to broader payment systems and even government infrastructure.
Commending the Minister for initiating the cybersecurity advisory council, the NITDA DG described it as a crucial platform for enhancing cooperation, facilitating information sharing, and building a more resilient national digital ecosystem.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to supporting the council and collaborating with stakeholders across sectors to strengthen Nigeria’s cybersecurity framework in the face of evolving AI-driven threats.
TikTok and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) have partnered to launch the Digital Commerce Labs, a global initiative aimed at empowering small businesses and driving economic growth in Nigeria.
TikTok
The programme is designed to unlock digital commerce opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across select markets in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia.
In Nigeria, the initiative is being implemented with support from the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF).
According to the partners, the programme will equip Nigerian entrepreneurs with digital skills, tools and resources to expand market access, increase revenue opportunities and build long-term business resilience.
They said the initiative would combine TikTok’s digital commerce tools and global reach with ICC’s expertise in international trade and its network of chambers of commerce to deliver training and mentorship.
The programme will be delivered through community engagement sessions, self-paced online learning modules and virtual classroom training led by industry experts.
Speaking on the initiative, Mr John W.H. Denton, Secretary-General of ICC, said the partnership would help create a more inclusive and accessible global economy.
He said the programme was designed to provide entrepreneurs with practical knowledge and tools needed to thrive in the digital age, while expanding opportunities across multiple markets.
Also speaking, Tokunbo Ibrahim, Acting Head of Government Relations and Public Policy for Sub-Saharan Africa at TikTok, said the initiative builds on the platform’s track record of supporting small business growth.
She noted that the partnership would help business owners move beyond visibility to achieve sustainable growth through effective use of digital tools.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek reports that the Digital Commerce Labs will be rolled out across 10 countries, with expansion planned across Africa and other regions later in the year.
Interested small business owners in Nigeria have been encouraged to apply to participate in the training programme aimed at enhancing their digital capabilities and scaling their operations.
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