Telecom
Paradigm Initiative Calls out Kenyan Government over Privacy concern on Huduma Number
On February 18 2019, the government of Kenya publicly announced the rolling out of Huduma number, a single number that is linked to a resident’s personal identifiers including biometric and demographic data in digital form.
Huduma number was made law through the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act No. 18 of 2018 which introduced various critical amendments to the Registration of Persons Act, Cap 107.
This Miscellaneous Amendments Bill came into force on January 18, 2019, a mere 19 days after the President gave his assent with no public consultation.
Rebecca Ryakitimbo, Paradigm Initiative’s Google Policy Fellow, East Africa stated, ”the Act introduced a National Integrated Management system to maintain a national population register for all persons within Kenya including registered foreigners and merge several public registers including immigration register that has passport details”.
According to the Government of Kenya the said number would ease identification processes and public service delivery.
However despite the positive image painted by the government, human rights defenders and residents have urged that the Huduma number violates the right to privacy, equality, the right to non-discrimination in the bill of rights and the right to public participation.
On February 14 2018 Nubian Rights Forum (NRF) filed a case in the High Court of Kenya Constitutional and Human Rights Division against its rollout.
Other institutions like Kenya Human Rights Commission and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights filed similar cases on February 18 2019.
This cases stalled the roll out. However in April the High Court allowed the government to launch the Huduma registration but with several conditions pending hearing and determination of suit against the programme.
‘Gbenga Sesan, the Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative, noted, ”Among the conditions the court issued on the government included been barred from forcing Kenyans to register, using the data to withhold any services and sharing the collected information with international bodies. The State was also prohibited from including DNA in the biometrics”.
In effect to this the parliament of Kenya has drafted the Huduma Namba Bill 2019 to address some of the concerns raised over its roll out and has issued a public notice for comments on the said bill.
Ideally Huduma namba shouldn’t have been rolled out until the enactment of sufficient legal mechanisms such as the data protection law and the proposed “huduma namba bill”.
Rebecca Ryakitimbo added, ”The Huduma namba bill makes Huduma namba mandatory in payment of taxes at the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), opening of bank accounts and undertaking land transfers among others.
“As a result residents may be denied their constitutional rights simply because they do not have one.
“The same applies for sanctions and fines that follow non-compliance taking away citizens control over their data”.
Tope Ogundipe, Director of Programmes, Paradigm Initiative, noted, ”The penalties under the bill are unrealistic and unreasonable.
“Some provisions such as registration of passports do not allow for due process, and residents cannot appeal if denied passports according to the bill.
“Provisions of the bill should not deny residents access to services by making huduma namba a de facto requirement to access public services, including health services”.
As the Parliament of Kenya deliberates on the bill it should look at the bill’s implication to the right to privacy and ensure it encompasses data protection principles and provide for principles of fairness and transparency, data minimization and accountability.
Understanding the nature and sensitivity of this kind of “data bank”, it is necessary that sufficient mechanisms are in place to ensure that the system is not vulnerable to breaches and that risk mitigation plans are in place.
Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) has outlined five strategic pathways to accelerate the adoption of the .ng domain and position it as a critical driver of Nigeria’s digital economy.
NiRA
Oluwaseyi Onasanya, Chief Operating Officer of NiRA, presented the framework at a Media Advocacy and Capacity Building Workshop held on April 16.
Onasanya described the .ng domain as a key component of Nigeria’s digital sovereignty, noting that the country has about 65 per cent internet penetration and over 35.6 million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) contributing nearly 48 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
She said the first pathway involves mandating the use of .ng domains across all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as subnational entities, government vendors and tax remitters.
According to her, this would ensure that all official digital communications with government institutions are conducted through .ng platforms, while also linking domain usage to Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registration and procurement processes.
The second strategy focuses on a nationwide awareness campaign tagged “Own Your .ng, Own Your Future,” aimed at promoting the domain as a symbol of national identity, trust and economic value.
Onasanya said the third pathway calls for leadership from the private sector, urging banks, telecommunications companies, startups and SMEs to adopt .ng domains and integrate them into onboarding processes.
She added that the fourth strategy seeks to position .ng as a secure and regulated alternative to foreign domains, enhancing consumer confidence, improving local search visibility and strengthening jurisdictional control.
The fifth pathway centres on expanding the digital ecosystem by strengthening registrar networks, simplifying user experience and integrating .ng domains into internet service providers, digital platforms and national performance metrics.
Onasanya warned that Nigeria’s domain adoption rate remains low compared to global peers, noting that the country has approximately one domain per 855 citizens, far behind countries like Germany, the United Kingdom and China.
She cautioned that low adoption could lead to capital flight, as businesses continue to rely on foreign domain platforms in an increasingly digital global economy.
She also called on the media to drive awareness, shape public perception and promote adoption by highlighting the economic value of .ng domains across sectors.
“Without media, .ng stays technical. With media, it becomes economic,” he said.
NiRA said that over 240,000 .ng domains have been registered so far, with projections indicating continued growth as Nigeria targets a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, has announced the layoff of about 1,000 employees as part of efforts to improve efficiency through artificial intelligence.
Evan Spiegel, chief executive officer, disclosed this in a memo on Wednesday, noting that the cuts represent about 16 per cent of the company’s full-time workforce and include the elimination of more than 300 unfilled roles.
Spiegel said advancements in artificial intelligence were enabling teams to reduce repetitive tasks, increase productivity and accelerate project execution.
“We believe that rapid advancements in artificial intelligence enable our teams to reduce repetitive work, increase velocity and better support our community, partners and advertisers,” he said.
He added that smaller teams using AI tools had already delivered meaningful progress across key initiatives.
The California-based firm said the restructuring would help cut over $500 million in annual costs by the second half of the year, providing a clearer path to profitability.
Spiegel described the decision as difficult, expressing regret over the impact on affected employees.
“This is an incredibly difficult decision, and I am deeply sorry to the colleagues who will be leaving us,” he said.
Snap joins a growing number of technology companies downsizing their workforce while citing productivity gains from artificial intelligence.
The company has undergone multiple rounds of layoffs in recent years amid stiff competition from rivals such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
Meanwhile, activist investor Irenic Capital Management recently disclosed a 2.5 per cent stake in Snap, calling for cost-cutting measures, including a review of its Spectacles smart glasses unit.
Shares of Snap rose by more than 7.5 per cent following the announcement, although the stock remains down compared to earlier in the year.
Data from Layoffs.fyi shows that more than 72,000 employees have been laid off by nearly 90 tech companies globally so far in 2026.
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has cautioned broadcast presenters against bullying guests during live interviews or presenting personal opinions as facts, warning that such actions will attract sanctions.
NBC
In a statement issued on Friday, the commission said it had observed a rise in violations of the sixth edition of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code across news, current affairs and political programmes.
“Broadcast platforms are increasingly being deployed in ways that depart from their core obligation to inform the public with accuracy, balance and professionalism,” the NBC said.
The commission noted that some anchors and presenters were deviating from professional standards by denying fair hearing to opposing views and compromising neutrality during broadcasts.
It stressed that such conduct violates provisions of the broadcasting code, which require impartiality and fair representation of all sides on issues of public interest.
“Henceforth, any anchor or presenter found to have expressed personal opinion as fact, bullied or intimidated a guest, denied fair hearing to opposing views, or otherwise compromised neutrality, shall be deemed to have committed a Class B breach,” the statement added.
The NBC also raised concerns over the growing use of broadcast platforms by political actors to promote divisive, inflammatory and unverified content.
It emphasised that broadcasters bear full editorial responsibility for all material aired, including live programmes, and cannot transfer that responsibility to guests.
The commission reiterated its commitment to enforcing strict compliance with the broadcasting code, warning that violations involving hate speech, incitement and imbalance would attract appropriate sanctions.
FG Carpets W/Bank, Denies Alleged Diversion of Federation Revenue
Lagos Unveils Cybersecurity Guidelines to Tackle Rising Digital Threats
FG Borrows N100Bn from Unclaimed Dividends, Dormant Bank Accounts
CitiTrust Heads to Appeal Court over Alleged Ponzi Scheme
IHS Nigeria, Ilorin Innovation Hub Showcase 19 High Growth Startups
NBC Boss Urges Content Ceators to Participate in DSO
NITDA Takes Over National Digital Architecture System
DLM SPV PLC Lists ₦9.00bn AAA-Rated Medium-Term Notes on FMDQ Exchange, Sets Benchmark in Corporate Bond Market
FG Shifting Focus to “Meaningful Connectivity” to Drive Inclusion – Minister
Jury Finds Meta, Google Liable for Woman’s Social Media Addiction
Telecom3 days agoAirtel Nigeria Suspends Airtime and Data Credit Services
E-Financial3 days agoCourt Suspends Enforcement of FCCPC’s Reform on Loan Apps
Telecom3 days agoFCCPC Denies Banning Airtime Borrowing, Blames Cartel for Misinformation
E-Financial3 days agoFG Rules Out Borrowing from IMF’s $50Bn Support Fund
E-Financial3 days agoCBN Introduces Overnight Financing Rate to Compete with US, EU
General News3 days agoAfriStakes Unveils Platform to Connect SMEs with Investors
News3 days agoNITDA, CAC Activate Cybersecurity Measures Amid System Concerns
General News3 days agoNigeria’s Human Capital Key to Global Competitiveness – NITDA DG