The United States, the United Kingdom, Finland, Norway, and Canadian envoys to Nigeria on Thursday congratulated the nation and its citizens on 26 years of democratic governance.
They expressed their goodwill to Nigeria and its people in a joint statement signed by U.S. Ambassador Richard Mills, British High Commissioner Richard Montgomery, Finnish Ambassador Sanna Selin, Norwegian Ambassador Svein Baera, and Canadian High Commissioner Pasquale Salvaggio.
Ambassador Mills, alongside heads of Missions: @UKinNigeria, @Finland_Nigeria, @NorAmbNigeria, and @CanHCNigeria have written an opinion editorial: “Preventing Misuse of the Cybercrimes Act: Protecting Free Speech and Unlocking Economic Growth.” Read the full op-ed here >>… pic.twitter.com/XRbZYrwpI4
— U.S. Mission Nigeria (@USinNigeria) June 12, 2025
According to them, healthy democracies are formed by important ingredients, while free expression has long been a core value of Nigeria’s democracy.
The envoys noted that while marking 25 years of democracy in Nigeria in 2024, President Bola Tinubu underlined that in Nigeria, “there must be diverse perspectives and viewpoints.”
“Nigeria’s constitution enshrines the right to freedom of expression, aiming to protect its citizens’ rights and foster a society where people can debate and discuss ideas free from government control.
“This right, a principle of trusting ordinary citizens to have discussions in the virtual public square, remains vital today,” they said.
The heads of mission from the five countries, however, called for reform of the Cybercrimes Act 2015, as amended in 2024, and cautioned against the law’s negative impact on free expression.
According to them, misuse of the Cybercrimes Act can undermine democratic advancement, civic participation, jeopardise the confidence of investors and risk deterring the innovation needed for economic growth.
“In 2022, the ECOWAS Court of Justice ruled that the Act is not in conformity with the country’s obligations related to freedom of expression under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
“The Act, which was originally intended to combat online fraud and cyberterrorism, can be misused as a tool to stifle free expression and undermine democratic engagement.
“This distortion of the law’s original intent can lead to citizens becoming hesitant to speak out, weakening democratic accountability and potentially fuelling distrust in government,” they said.
The envoys, however, welcomed the Minister of Information’s commitment to collaborate with the National Assembly and relevant stakeholders toward reviewing the Act so that it can protect the values enshrined in Nigeria’s constitution.
They further noted that the implications of amending the Act would extend beyond free expression, stressing that Nigeria’s economic future would also depend on its ability to innovate and attract investment in the digital age.