Reps urge Journalists to strengthen reporting on digital laws

As Nigeria accelerates its push towards a digital economy, the House of Representatives has urged journalists and parliamentary media aides to strengthen their capacity to scrutinise and report digital and technology-related legislation.

The call was made on Monday in Abuja by the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Akintunde Rotimi, during a one-day joint retreat for members of the House Press Corps and media aides.

The retreat, organised in collaboration with civil society organisation Paradigm Initiative Nigeria, underscored the growing need for technically informed reporting on emerging legislative areas such as data protection, cybercrime, artificial intelligence, and digital rights.

Hon. Rotimi said the House remained committed to enacting laws that safeguard citizens’ digital rights and promote accountability in an increasingly technology-driven society.

“Democracy thrives when citizens are well informed,” he said. “Clear, accurate and reliable information strengthens public engagement and accountability.”

He charged journalists and parliamentary media teams to approach digital legislation with depth, balance and clarity, noting that effective coverage would help Nigerians understand how such laws affect their daily lives.

Speaking at the event, Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria, Mr. Gbenga Sesan, linked Nigeria’s ambition of becoming a trillion-dollar economy to strong digital governance and security frameworks.

He urged the National Assembly to prioritise and fast-track key technology-related bills, including the Nigeria Data Protection Act, Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Bills, Digital Rights and Freedom Bill, National Digital Economy and e-Governance Bill, amendments to the Cybercrimes Act, and the Child Online Access Protection Bill.

Also speaking, Chairman of the House Press Corps, Gboyega Onadiran, said journalists must evolve with the changing media landscape shaped by data, algorithms, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and online rights.

He reaffirmed the Corps’ commitment to making parliamentary activities clear, accessible and relevant to Nigerians.

The retreat also drew participation from the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Grace Ike, and the Chief Executive Officer of the National Assembly Service (NASS) Library Trust Fund, Hon. Henry Nwawuba, who encouraged participants to leverage the training to sharpen their understanding of legislative processes and digital rights.

Participants at the event expressed satisfaction with the programme, describing it as timely and a positive step towards improving legislative reporting in the digital age.