Digital rights, inclusion conference highlights human rights elements
PICTURE: A panel discussion at DRIF on the ACHPR’s recent resolution on public service content, after a presentation done by information and digital rights expert Izak Minnaar. From left, Uyanda Siyutula (SOS Coalition), Peace Oliver Amuge (APC/Afdec), Phathiswa Magopeni (Press Council of South Africa), Professor Guy Berger (Research ICT Africa), Edetaen Ojo (Media Rights Agenda) and John Okande from UNESCO (Izak Minnaar)
The 2024 ‘Digital Rights and Inclusion in Africa Report – Londa’ has been released with the introduction of a new ‘Score Index’, ranking countries on the continent according to their compliance to key human rights elements.
The ‘Londa Report’ is an annual publication by pan-African non-profit organisation Paradigm Initiative (PIN) that assesses the state of digital rights and inclusion across Africa.
South Africa tops the list of countries which are compliant to key human rights elements followed by Ghana, Zambia, Namibia and Rwanda respectively. Other countries on the top 10 list are Nigeria, Senegal, Malawi, Tunisia and Kenya.
The report by PIN was released at the on-going Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF) in Lusaka, Zambia which kicked off on 29 April 2025 and ends today, 1 May 2025.
The ‘Index’, developed by PIN, evaluates the compliance of the countries to the key human rights elements described in the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information.
The Londa report, which focuses on 27 African countries, highlights Internet disruptions as a common feature in 2024. The disruptions were caused by various factors including poor infrastructure. Countries that experienced Internet disruptions include Comoros, The Gambia, Kenya, Mauritius and Mozambique.
The report states that as much as the disruptions in The Gambia were as a result of multiple undersea cable failures, those in Comoros, Kenya, Mauritius and Mozambique were as a result of deliberate Internet shutdowns unleashed by their governments.
‘The marked increase in Internet shutdowns is a reflection of the reluctance of some African countries to comply with international human rights law and a demonstrated dereliction of duty towards national, regional and international obligations to promote freedom of expression and access to information,’ the report states
Other issues that the report highlights are:
- the [high] cost of data which affected the ability of women to afford data bundles for Internet access
- crackdowns on freedom of expression
- the criminalisation of false news, contrary to international standards recommending that governments prefer civil sanctions to address such
- the lack of legal frameworks that address online gender-based violence, and
- the need for governments to proactively disclose information and use digital platforms to enhance access to information
The report also takes note of activities which steered the Africa continent towards digital access.
Regarding online safety for children and vulnerable groups, the report indicates that most African countries lack specific child online safety policies and are stuck on child protection laws that do not cover protection in the digital age.
It presents the level of compliance by African countries with human rights obligations, demonstrating how some countries, such as Kenya, have retrogressed regarding promotion of Internet access, with countries such as Somalia taking strides towards affordable access.
A copy of the report can be accessed here.
The DRIF event held at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre attracted more than 1 000 delegates from 65 countries across the world. It brought together policymakers, civil society actors, non-governmental organisations, tech innovators, representatives from the United Nations, the diplomatic corps, development agencies, donors and funders, media professionals, government representatives and representatives from academia and the private sector.
Key speakers at the forum included
- Zambia’s Minister of Technology and Science Honourable Felix Mutati
- Chairperson of the Information Regulator of South Africa Advocate Pansy Tlakula, who is also a former Chairperson of the ACHPR and former Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information
- Usama Khilji, the Executive Director of Pakistan-based research and advocacy organisation Bolo Bhi and Vice Chairperson of the Global Network Initiative (GNI)
- Gbenga Sesan, Executive Director at Paradigm Initiative and a member of the Internet Governance Forum Leadership Panel, and
- Beatrice Mutali, UN Resident Coordinator Zambia
Held under the theme, ‘Promoting Digital Ubuntu in Approaches to Technology’, the signature event was hosted by PIN in conjunction with partners
- Bloggers of Zambia
- Common Cause Zambia
- Internet Society Zambia
- Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia
- the Zambian Cybersecurity Initiative Foundation (ZCSI), and
- the Zambia Ministry of Technology and Science
The event’s thematic areas were
- AI and emerging technologies
- trust and accountability
- data protection
- privacy and cybersecurity
- digital inclusion and marginalised groups, and
- digital security, human rights and freedoms
DRIF 2025 sponsors include: the Ford Foundation; Luminate; the Mott Foundation; Google; Meta; the Wellsprings Philanthropic Fund; the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the MacArthur Foundation and the Wikimedia Foundation.
The forum featured 122 sessions including workshops, day zero events, exhibitions, tech demos, lightning talks and panel sessions. The sessions were selected from 345 proposals received by the organisation.
In 2024, the organisation received 245 session proposals and hosted over 80 sessions. In 2023, it organisation hosted 70 sessions.
The organisation also launched the 5th short film titled, Whispers in the Wires, which is based on the 2023 Londa report. Also to be launched is the PIN book, titled The PIN Story: A Work in Progress, highlighting the organisation’s journey from a tiny cybercafe in Lagos, Nigeria, to a leading pan-African digital rights and inclusion organisation.
DRIF provides a platform for hosting critical global issues on digital rights and inclusion, accommodating views and opinions from civil society, technology companies, government, academia and other stakeholders.
The upcoming edition will build on the discussions from the 11th edition, which focused on the theme, ‘Fostering Rights and Inclusion in the Digital Age’.
PIN connects under-served young Africans with digital opportunities and ensures the protection of their rights. It has worked in communities across Nigeria since 2007 and across Africa since 2017, building experience, community trust, and an organisational culture that positions us as a leading non-profit in ICT for development and digital rights on the continent
Across its regional offices in Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia, Zimbabwe and beyond, it has impacted more than 150 000 youth with improved livelihoods through its digital inclusion and digital rights programmes.
Its programmes include life skills, ICT skills, financial readiness and entrepreneurship training, a digital readiness workshop and a life at school club.
It has also built online platforms that educate and serve as safe spaces for reporting digital rights violations. These mediums, in the form of reports, short films and educational online platforms, include Ayeta, Londa and Ripoti.
