Report: FG Spent $2.7Billion spying on Nigerians from 2013 to 2022

Nigeria FG spends 2.7Billion on Survilence

The Institute of Development Studies has released an analysis with some shocking findings. The analysis estimates that between 2013 and 2022, Nigeria, the largest economy in Africa, spent an astounding $2.7 billion on contracts for surveillance equipment. This breaks down to $12 for each citizen.

The survey also noted that Nigeria spent more money on surveillance equipment than any other nation on the continent. Governments in the past have set aside money for surveillance equipment for a variety of uses, including social media monitoring, mobile intercept, and internet interference. Contractors from numerous nations, including Israel, Cyprus, the UK, the USA, and Bulgaria, have been employed by the nation’s government.

The study, titled “Mapping the Supply of Surveillance Technologies to Africa,” claims that surveillance technology has been used to spy on citizens, a practice that is against both Nigerian law and the constitution.

“The Nigerian constitution’s Section 37 stipulates that the government shall uphold citizens’ rights to communication privacy. However, there is overwhelming evidence that numerous state agencies violate these constitutional protections by using an expanding spectrum of digital surveillance tools to spy on residents, according to the report.

It is important to note that although the Constitution safeguards citizens’ rights to free speech, a specific law permits governmental agencies to purposefully deploy surveillance technologies on individuals. The Lawful Interception of Communications Act has been used by governmental agencies to undertake surveillance activities as well as to intercept social media and phone calls made by civilians, with the cooperation of telecom firms.

It’s also important to understand that governmental organizations have used surveillance technology to target political opposition groups, journalists, and community activists. Pharmacist Solomon Akuma criticized late Chief of Staff Abba Kyari and then-President Muhammadu Buhari in 2020. In April 2020, the police detained Akuma.

He was forced to wait for his trial for three months while being kept under observation, which was a flagrant violation of his right to free speech. Charges of terrorism, sedition, criminal intimidation of the president, and threats to the president’s life were brought against Akuma when he finally had his day in court. He was released in January 2023 after nearly three years behind bars.

Despite economic difficulties, Nigerians have a high tolerance for surveillance

The economy of Nigeria is at its weakest point in many years, prompting many small firms to shut down and foreign enterprises to relocate their operations. In addition to these developments, the cost of living has increased significantly recently. Additionally, this has deterred international investment. It is astonishing to learn that previous governments have spent a significant amount of money on surveillance given the ugliness of the situation. Additionally, the surveillance is intended to spy on citizens rather than protect them.

While the Constitution forbids it, the Lawful Interception of Communication Act makes things more difficult. Maybe politicians should concentrate on bringing out a single regulation that clarifies surveillance. To accomplish this, civil society organizations and other interested parties must cooperate.

Author

Samson Ayodeji

I am literally obsessed with technology. I love writing about the latest news in technology in different markets, segments and sectors across the world.

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