Young activists and civic tech leaders in North Central states of Nigeria have completed a training programme on digital self-defence, amid mounting concern that the government is using cybercrime laws to silence political dissent.
A two-day bootcamp organised by the PowerShift for Digital Rights Project, Supported by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the election monitoring body YIAGA Africa, ended on Saturday in Jos, Plateau State. The training described as a “timely intervention” to help young people navigate Nigeria’s increasingly fraught digital space safely and strengthens youth leadership in digital rights protection, civic participation, and online advocacy.
With Nigeria’s next general election less than a year away, facilitators took participants through the country’s Cybercrimes Act, protest laws, and the legal limits of freedom of expression.
Panshak Jeremiah Kassem, one of the trainers, said “participants received practical training on secure communication, risk mapping, and anti-surveillance tools.” Another facilitator, Bethsheba Nerus, who led a cyber hygiene session, taught activists how to reduce their digital footprint and avoid monitoring by state security agencies.
Other sessions examined barriers faced by women and marginalised groups online, with facilitator Grace Yunusa stressing that “advocacy strategies must be inclusive.”
One of the most eye-catching sessions explored how artificial intelligence tools, including ChatGPT and Canva, could be used for civic engagement without compromising user data. Participants later broke into teams for a “co-creation sprint”, producing advocacy content on the spot.
The bootcamp, held from 27 to 28 March, is part of a three-month project ending in April. Organisers said participants had committed to leading digital rights awareness campaigns across Plateau State and beyond. With the event now concluded, they said they hoped to expand the training to other states before the general election cycle intensifies.
