Borg. Research

Nigeria’s struggles with internet content regulation have remained unsolved after prolonged debate on the issue.

More recent attempts at social media regulation by the government, tell of a shift of the government’s focus from internet content regulation through speech control laws to a focus on platform regulation which bypasses the legislature.

A properly thought-out platform responsibility regime would go a long way in resolving the issues of internet content regulation in Nigeria and may put an end to the continuous friction between the government and internet stakeholders.

With lessons from the twitter ban, this piece amplifies the need for a responsible platform regulatory regime in Nigeria.

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Does Nigeria Need a Platform Responsibility Regime for Social Media? Lessons from the Twitter Ban Nigeria’s struggles with internet content regulation have remained unsolved after prolonged debate on the issue. More recent attempts at social media regulation by the government, tell of a shift of the government’s focus from internet content regulation through speech control laws to a focus on...

The health sector as with every other industry in every country needs adequate funding to survive and indeed thrive. What happens when such an important sector is not adequately funded is the obvious reality of present-day Nigeria. A reality that sees medical personnel leave the country in their droves and sees thousands of citizens (including the President) seek health solutions in other countries. Fortunately, this reality can be remedied by strategically distributing resources and funds into the sector. In a country like Nigeria where the misappropriation of funds is the order of the day, the ideal distribution of resources will go a long way in improving the health sector.

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Redirecting Funds Towards Healthcare in Nigeria. The state of healthcare in Nigeria in poor. Medical Personnels are leaving Nigeria because of poor funding for healthcare. Covid 19 pandemic exposed our poor health infrastructure. Health workers must be paid adequately.

The beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic saw states, pharmaceutical companies
and other stakeholders in the health industry adopt a more freehanded and complementary approach to the protection of their IP.

The University of Oxford initially expressed its intention to donate the rights to the vaccine it was developing to any drug manufacturer interested in manufacturing the vaccine. Then- candidate Joseph Biden emphatically stated that his administration would waive vaccine patents if US companies developed a vaccine because it was the “only humane thing in the world to do”.

Covid - Vaccine - Patent - Waiver The opinions expressed are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of borg.

Nigeria’s approach to technology regulation, particularly in the last six years, has been troubled, to say the least. In this time, regulation has been everything from uncalculated, and insufficient, to destructive.

Between the taxman approach of “milking” businesses still trying to flesh out experimental business cases, to opting for dangerous misinterpretations of disruptive business models, to forestalling innovation to favour the norm, to wielding the axe on a whim; regulators and the disposition to the regulation of technology in Nigeria is fast becoming a threat to the country’s own growth.

To Kill a Mockingbird: Inside Nigeria's Self-Sabotaging Approach to Technology Regulation The growth and potential shown by the technology ecosystem in Nigeria have been immense despite hostile regulation and unsavoury business conditions. We looked at Nigeria's approach to technology regulation in the past 6 years reminding the government why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird.

Although Africa is not popularly recognized as a continent for technological pe*******on, the technology imprint in Nigeria and some other African powerhouses have been impressive in recent years albeit mostly in the urban areas.

Nigerian institutions are certainly aware of the impact of technology in delivering financial services, but the legal reference point for these services has not been established to any sufficient level over time. The existing legal framework is unable to meet up with the exigencies permeated by technological integration in financial services because technology renders obsolete the theories upon which the laws are premised.

Intersection between Law, Electronic Banking and Fintech in Nigeria The opinions expressed in this document are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of borg.

In the wake of global developments in data protection compelled by the internet information explosion and jump-started by the promulgation of the GDPR, Nigeria also embarked on her response project, with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR), released by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) on the 25th of January 2019, setting the course for a new dispensation for privacy in Nigeria.

This thinking chronicles Nigeria's journey in data protection over the past three (3) years; it addresses the highpoints, the lowpoints, the controversies and prospects for growth, and what the future might look like for data protection in Nigeria.

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Are We There Yet? 3rd Year Review of Nigeria's Journey in Data Protection This thinking chronicles Nigeria's journey in data protection over the past three (3) years; it addresses the highpoints, the lowpoints, the controversies and prospects for growth, and what the future might look like for data protection in Nigeria.

These problems affect in Nigeria: disruptive regulations or outright government competition, fragmented and unclear rules, weak infrastructure (broadband, open data & digital platforms), and difficulty accessing capital for prototyping and growth.

On The Journey to Nigeria’s Startup Act The Nigerian Start up Bill

The provision of an enabling regulatory environment for innovative and customer-centric financial service through safe utilisation and exchange of data and service is the main crux of open banking.

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Regulating Open Banking in Nigeria On February 17, 2021, the CBN issued a regulatory framework for open banking in Nigeria which aims to enhance financial inclusion, improve competition within the financial services space, foster the sharing and leveraging of customer-permission data by banks with third-party firms to devise solution...

As tension between Russia and Ukraine escalates, the world watches closely and several decisive steps have been taken by some nations to quell the situation.

In the first of a two-part series, we analyse the origin of the crisis and provide some context regarding what it could possibly escalate to if we don't learn from history.

https://www.borg.re/articles/ideasmemo/evils-soft-first-touches-or-a-beginners-guide-to-post-cold-war-cold-war

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Evil’s soft first touches or a Beginner's guide to Post-Cold War Cold War As tension between Russia and Ukraine escalates, the world watches closely and several decisive steps have been taken by some nations to quell the situation. In the first of a two-part series, we analyse the origin of the crisis and provide some context regarding what it could possibly escalate to i...

When fuel subsidies were first introduced in the 1970s - the sole purpose was to leverage the economics of subsidy towards cushioning the hardship faced by Nigerians.

Currently, the price tag of fuel subsidy comes with an approximate cost of ₦250bn a month.

Nigeria is now faced with a catch 22 - to increase, reduce or abolish fuel subsidy. Whichever bait wins the country will face repercussions of decades of subsidy.

This issue-brief by Oghosa Erhahon looks at what subsidy removal or retention could mean for Nigeria.

https://www.borg.re/articles/issue-briefs/subsidy-removal-or-retention-will-mean-tough-decisions

Yesterday, a bill to alter the constitution by creating 111 additional seats for women in Nigeria’s Parliament failed at both Chambers of the National Assembly.

While we agree that gender equality is indispensable to achieving sustainable development, and there is a gross underrepresentation of women in governance, the policies made to bridge the gap must be well-considered.

Prior to the voting, we had shared our opinion on the alteration bill.

You can read it here:

More Seats for Women in the Parliament: Tokenism and the Cost Implication Recently, the House of Representatives introduced a Bill to improve gender equality within the Federal and State Legislative Houses by creating an additional 111 legislative seats. We examined the Bill, its practicality, and the impact on the cost of governance.

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