For some years now, I have found it difficult to celebrate the 1960 independence from the perspective of celebrating past victories- specifically freedom. Freedom means so many things these days, and this 64th celebration, I reflect on what the word ‘freedom” portends for many Nigerians -the strides we have taken toward progress as a nation and the challenges that still tether our potential.
While we honour the past, we must think about the nation’s future within the global context. For me, that is the digital future. Within this vast digital landscape, we must confront an uncomfortable truth: not all Nigerians, particularly women and girls, have equal access to its promise.
Mojirayo Ogunlana O. – Executive Director – DiGiCiViC
For many, the digital space represents freedom—where ideas bloom, creativity flourishes, and opportunities abound. But for millions of Nigerian women and girls, this digital terrain is fraught with shadows, an extension of the offline barriers.
The same cultural, social, and economic forces that have long kept women in the margins now follow them into the virtual world, where patriarchal systems still attempt to silence, harass, and belittle them.
We live in an era where the digital economy is the economy, where the ability to access, create, and share information defines one’s place in society. Yet, Nigerian women and girls, particularly in rural communities, are disproportionately excluded.
Digital illiteracy remains rampant. The cost of technology is prohibitive, and where access exists, it often comes with the bitter taste of cyberbullying, harassment, and violence. Many young girls, eager to engage in the global marketplace of ideas, find themselves retreating—threatened by the same predators that lurk in physical spaces.
The internet, designed to be a space of boundless freedom, often becomes a mirror, reflecting the same structures of inequality, only on a grander scale.
But today is not a day for despair. It is a day for hope, action, and renewal. Our nation has repeatedly proven its resilience. So, let us extend that resilience to this pressing issue.
Firstly, we must call on our Federal, State, and Local Governments to strengthen digital infrastructure and access in underserved areas, particularly for women and children. The future is already here, and to exclude anyone from that future is to hamper the nation’s progress.
At the Administrative level, national and regional policies that prioritize digital literacy programs for women and girls, bridging the gap in digital education, are needed. Our innovative Attorney General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, should drive this initiative.
We need deliberate investment in digital tools for these communities, ensuring that no child—boy or girl—is left behind simply because of where they were born or what their gender is.
Legislatively, we must enact and enforce laws that not only punish online harassment but create environments where women and girls feel safe to thrive. The National Assembly must fast-track bills that address digital gender-based violence, including online stalking, doxxing, and cyberbullying. The internet must no longer be where fear reigns for Nigerian women.
The judiciary must also play its role, ensuring that justice is swift for those who perpetrate these crimes. In this vein, I commend our newly sworn-in Honourable Justice Kekere-Ekun, Chief Justice of Nigeria, a national treasure and legal juggernaut by all accounts, on her elevation to the highest judicial office in the land.
Your Lordship, your appointment stands as a beacon for what is possible when women are granted the space they deserve. Under your leadership, we know we will see a judiciary that protects the rights of all Nigerians, including those whose battles are fought in the digital sphere. Your tenure offers a renewed hope that justice will not be gender-blind but gender-conscious.
I also implore our governments to create digital safe spaces where women and girls can express themselves freely without fear of persecution. Let us break down the social norms that frame a woman’s ambition and voice as something to be subdued.
As we move forward, let us remember that digital rights are human rights, and any exclusion from this space—whether through systemic neglect or active suppression—is a denial of that right. Nigeria, where every woman and girl can access the internet freely and safely, is a place where progress is unstoppable.
Today, I am filled with hope. For in every challenge, there lies an opportunity. The opportunity to rewrite the narrative, to lift every woman and girl onto a global, connected, and empowering stage.
Happy Independence Day, Nigeria. Let us rise together towards a future that includes us all.
Mojirayo Ogunlana
Digital, Media, Gender and Human Rights Advocate
