Judges from the Federal High Court and National Industrial Court have pledged to uphold global digital rights through the Ikot Ekpene Declaration.
The commitment followed a recent workshop on digital rights and cyber governance held in Akwa Ibom State. The event aimed to strengthen judicial response to digital age challenges.
Paradigm Initiative organized the workshop under its STANDS Project, with support from the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The event gathered judges, legal scholars, human rights officials, and judicial administrators.
The training, titled “Upholding Justice in the Digital Age,” emphasized the judiciary’s role in protecting digital rights amid evolving technologies.
Justice Salisu Garba Abdullahi of the National Judicial Institute stressed the need for judges to embrace digital transformation while upholding constitutional values. He urged judicial officers to adapt their practices to meet modern realities.
Paradigm Initiative’s Executive Director, ‘Gbenga Sesan, said the judiciary must play a central role in digital governance. He highlighted the growing link between economic opportunities and judicial oversight in the digital space.
Khadijah El-Usman, Senior Officer for Anglophone West Africa, said strong digital rights enforcement depends on committed judicial leadership. She praised the Netherlands Embassy for backing the initiative.
The Ikot Ekpene Declaration provides clear guidelines for judges in handling digital rights cases. It encourages judicial clarity, protection of human rights, and digital access for marginalized groups.
The declaration also supports the digitalisation of court processes to improve justice delivery. The judges were urged to monitor new threats to privacy, online expression, and cybercrime.
This judicial commitment marks a major step toward modernizing Nigeria’s legal system. It protects digital rights in line with international best practices.
By endorsing the declaration, judges have aligned Nigeria’s justice system with global standards on digital freedom and legal innovation.
