Dear Reader,
As we draw the curtains to the month of September, we are delighted to welcome you to October, the Cyber Security Awareness Month. This annual commemoration reminds us of the importance of practicing good digital hygiene and protecting ourselves from online threats. Guided by this year’s theme, “Stay safe online,” we encourage you to take simple but powerful steps such as using strong passwords and enabling multifactor authentication. In this edition of our newsletter, we reflect on what we were up to in the last month and look forward with optimism to the new month.
Thank you for staying with us. We value your company.
We hope you will enjoy the read.
Key Highlights
• PIN champions digital rights at FIFAfrica
• Charting the way for a National Action Plan for Digital Rights in Nigeria
• Countering threats during elections in Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, the Central African Republic (CAR), and Tanzania
• From principles to practice: Celebrating UN Digital Cooperation Day
Championing digital rights at FIFAfrica 2025
Last week, PIN team members comprising Nnenna Paul-Ugochukwu, our Chief Operating Officer (COO), Thobekile Matimbe, Senior Manager, Partnerships and Engagements, Sani Suleiman Sani, Programmes Officer, Chiti Mutati, Programmes Officer, Southern Africa and Moussa Waly Sene, Programmes Officer, Francophone Africa were at the 2025 Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica25) in Windhoek, Namibia, joining other digital rights, inclusion, and internet governance stakeholders to exchange insights. At the forum, we hosted a Digital Rights Academy and also participated in six sessions on diverse themes, ranging from digital rights to the protection of journalists, cybersecurity, and capacity building. The sessions and engagements included: Regional Assessment for National Commitments and Ecosystem Support for Digital Inclusion in Africa, Book Launch: Internet shutdowns in Africa: Technology, Rights, and Power, Sub-Saharan Africa Journalist Fund Consultation by Meedan and Paradigm Initiative, Africa Cybersecurity Advocacy Workshop by Internet Society (ISOC), African Internet Rights Alliance Annual Convening and Capacity Building, Protecting Refugees: Digital Resilience & Information Integrity by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
Charting the way for a National Action Plan for Digital Rights in Nigeria
Paradigm Initiative (PIN) and Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on September 17th co-hosted a stakeholder engagement on developing Nigeria’s National Action Plan on Digital Rights. The event had in attendance representatives from government agencies, civil society, legal experts, tech advocates, and the media, who supported in validating research findings, identifying priorities, and co-creating the first draft framework to protect and promote digital rights across the country. The engagement marked the beginning of a wider process that will include zonal and national consultations before the Action Plan is formally adopted in 2026. See the full report here.
PIN rings alarm over data management in Nigeria
Paradigm Initiative hosted a Media Briefing in Abuja, Nigeria, where we once more called out Nigerian authorities for neglecting the misuse of citizens’ data online. On the September 18
Briefing, we called for seriousness from the government in handling the matter, as there has been a consistent data leak online for three years now, where data is available for sale cheaply. We also highlighted the state of digital rights and inclusion in the country, spotlighting our Score Index which ranks countries according to their compliance with key human rights elements. See details
Londa country reports are now available
Where does your country rank in digital rights and inclusion? Our latest report on digital rights and inclusion, Londa, is now available by country. Initially released at the 2025 Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum, you can now download your individual country report for easy use. The latest report features 27 different African countries and provides a Score Index based on their performance over the last year. Download your country report to stay informed.
PIN-led research to strengthen public trust in democratic processes
Paradigm Initiative is currently leading a research project titled “Countering Information Disorder in West and Central Africa: Analyzing the Dynamics, Impacts, Actors and Strategic Responses,” being implemented in partnership
with researchers and institutions across the following six countries: Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal. The project, funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) , responds to the growing threat of information disorders such as misinformation and malinformation. The goal of the project is to improve public trust in democratic processes by enhancing the resilience of the information ecosystem through research, evidence-based advocacy, and capacity building. See details.
Events
PIN at UNESCO information integrity conference
PIN was represented by Programmes Officer, Sani Suleiman at the UNESCO Regional Conference on Information Integrity in West Africa and the Sahel, held from September 3 to September 5 in Praia, Cape Verde. The conference brought together diverse stakeholders from across the region to discuss the growing threats to information integrity and to collectively shape a Regional Action Plan that is both inclusive and rooted in human rights. Key conversations focused on the Model Policy Framework for Information Integrity, the design of an ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) Regional Observatory on Disinformation, and strategies for improving
the governance of digital platforms to tackle disinformation while safeguarding freedom of expression.
Digital Rights Academy in Côte d’Ivoire
On September 9 and 10, PIN hosted a Digital Rights Academy (DRA) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The Academy, which focused on data protection, was hosted in partnership with the Coalition Ivoirienne des Défenseurs des Droits Humains (Ivorian Coalition of Human Rights Defenders) - CIDDH, focused on privacy and personal data protection. It also spotlighted Law No. 2013-450 on data protection in Côte d’Ivoire, and featured a roundtable on best practices in the commercial use of data, and Internet shutdowns and electoral processes in Africa.
From Dakar to Windhoek: Digital Rights Academies all the way…
On September 16 & 17, PIN hosted journalists and media practitioners for two days of learning, dialogue, and capacity-building around digital rights and media freedom, under the banner of the Digital Rights Academy (DRA). The training featured presentations, sharing experiences, and practical exercises to enable participants to understand and address digital rights issues in their line of work. This was followed by a September 24 session with digital rights
defenders in Windhoek, Namibia. The Namibian DRA, was in prelude to the 2025 Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica).
NRC webinar: Preparing civil society for digital challenges in elections
In the weeks ahead, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and Tanzania will hold elections. With these countries’ digital environments often marked by political tension and high risks to freedom of expression and access to information, the Net Rights Coalition hosted a webinar on September 22 to address these challenges. Among other goals, it sought to equip civil society actors, election observers, and organisations with the skills to identify, analyze, and respond to digital threats before, during, and after elections. Hosted
by Rigobert Kenmogne, speakers included Thobekile Matimbe, Rosmon Zokoue, Imani Henrick, Kaberu Tairu, and Makinia Juma.
