NITDA Urges Stronger Guardrails As AI, Digital Infrastructure Reshape Consumer Rights

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has called for urgent action to strengthen consumer protection in Nigeria’s rapidly digitising economy, warning that artificial intelligence and digital public infrastructure are increasingly shaping behaviour, opinions, and access to rights.

Speaking at NITDA’s Consumer Protection Forum in Abuja, NITDA boss, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi CCIE, represented by Barrister Emmanuel Edet, Acting Director of Regulation and Compliance department told stakeholders that technology is no longer optional but embedded in daily life—from banking and credit assessments to data collection and targeted content delivery.

“Whether you like it or not, technology has permeated everything we do. Al determines what you see, how long you see it, and ultimately how you think. Control is shifting from the consumer to the service provider,” he said.

The forum, themed “Strengthening Consumer Trust and Accountability in Nigeria’s Digital Economy: Leveraging Al and Digital Public Infrastructure,” focused on how to safeguard citizens as data is collected, stored, and often transferred abroad without explicit consent. Edet cited cases where Nigerians’ payment data, processed by global firms, remains subject to foreign jurisdictions.

He stressed the need for clear regulatory guardrails to ensure transparency, data sovereignty, and consumer autonomy. NITDA, he said, is engaging consumers directly to shape policies that balance innovation with protection.

The agency urged participants to contribute openly, noting that effective regulation requires collaboration between government, industry, and citizens to secure a fair digital future for Nigeria.