The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, Mr Stanley Olajide, has called for stronger laws to tackle cybercrime, cybersecurity threats and online abuse of adolescents in Nigeria.
Olajide, popularly known as Odidiomo, made the call in Ibadan while receiving members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, led by its Chairman, Mr Akeem Abas, during a courtesy visit.
The lawmaker said that digital literacy must be prioritised for Nigeria to successfully build a sustainable digital economy.
Olajide (PDP- Ibadan South-West/North-West) said his committee was working on key national initiatives to strengthen Nigeria’s digital future and protect citizens.
He listed the initiatives to include the proposed Digital Economy Bill, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) regulatory framework, separate bills on cybercrime and cybersecurity, as well as a Child Protection Act to safeguard children online.
“We want to pass the Digital Economy Bill, which is at the final stage. There are minor glitches that require collaboration between NIMC and some other agencies to resolve certain political issues.
“It has nothing to do with technology; it is largely administrative,” he said.
On AI, Olajide said Nigeria must adopt a balanced regulatory approach that mitigates risks without stifling innovation.
He said that the National Assembly was working to consolidate about six AI-related bills into a unified framework.
“AI has come to stay, but we must regulate it carefully. Over-legislating AI will stifle innovation, so we must strike a balance between regulation and growth,” he said.
The lawmaker also said that the National Assembly intends to separate the law regulating cybercrime from cybersecurity to ensure clearer policy direction.
He explained that while cybercrime deals with offences already committed, cybersecurity focuses on preventive measures to protect digital infrastructure and users.
“Previously, both were lumped together. Now, we are decoupling them for clarity. Cybercrime addresses offences, while cybersecurity focuses on prevention,” Olajide said.
He said that public hearings on the proposed cybercrime and cybersecurity bills had been concluded, adding that the next step was legislative passage.
The committee chairman also stressed the urgent need of passage of a Child Protection Act.
Olajide warned that many Nigerian children were exposed to online predators and harmful digital content.
“Our children are being abused online daily. There are predators targeting them, and we must put in place strong laws to protect them,” he said.
On data protection and platform accountability, Olajide said Nigeria must continue to insist on data sovereignty and local compliance by global technology companies.
He said that many digital platforms store Nigerian users’ data outside the country, making investigation and enforcement difficult.
“That is why we are strengthening data protection laws to ensure data localisation.
“This is a major challenge for big tech companies, and we are enforcing compliance through sanctions,” he said.
Olajide added that advocacy and media training were critical to raising public awareness on cyber threats, data protection and safe digital practices.
He pledged to support the NUJ through capacity building, particularly in training journalists on relevant technologies to enhance their professional duties and improve public enlightenment on online safety.
Earlier, the NUJ Chairman in Oyo State, Mr Akeem Abas, said the council had organised AI training for 250 journalists in partnership with organisations, including Google Africa.
Abas said that further plans included capacity building in digital reporting and election coverage in collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The NUJ chairman also sought collaboration with the lawmaker to train journalists in digital marketing and other relevant skills to enhance their professional performance.