By O’star Eze
A non-governmental organization, Spaces for Change recently trained online activists from the six geopolitical zones on how to evade the restrictions of the federal government on their activities online, Orient Daily reports.
Speaking with Orient Daily after the one day workshop which held in Enugu, the executive director of the group, Barrister Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri said that the workshop was geared towards enlightening online practitioners on certain restriction trends that affect their activities.
Ibezim-Ohaeri said that Spaces for Change, from their documentation of restrictions of the present government on online practitioners, have observed two kinds of restrictions; those based on national security and those based on financial regulations.
In her words, “activists who use the opportunity provided by the cyberspace to vent their opinions and garner support for their cause need to be aware of the rules that have been used to restrict their activities on the cyber space.
“They need to be aware of the triggers and drivers of these restrictions and how to work around them to still achieve their purpose without breaking the law or endangering themselves.”
She explained that the essence of the workshop was to acquaint these activists with those policies, rules and regulations that are being used to restrict their activities, so that they can carry out their activities mindful of these rules in order not to fall victim to them.
She disclosed that beyond the workshop, the group intends to engage in different kinds of actions both online and offline that would continue to increase the awareness.
Legal practitioners and financial experts were among the resource persons who anchored the round table discussion. Some online practitioners and social media activists who had fallen victim to these restrictions or/and are undergoing litigation process as a result were also present to share their experiences with their colleagues.
Opportunity was also provided for the participants to network with one another and get help on how to improve on their influence online.
Orient Daily reports that Spaces for change is a non-governmental organization aimed at increasing political participation among women, youths and marginalized communities in Nigeria.

Source: https://orientdailynews.com.ng/cityscope/group-trains-online-pressmen-cyberspace/