Avocats Sans Frontieres (ASF) France on Friday organised an inter-school competition to raise awareness among students about digital rights and the dangers of cyberbullying.
The Country Director of ASF France, Angela Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, at the National Finale of the e-RIGHTS Digital Rights Inter-school Competition in Abuja, said the event was a celebration of courage, consciousness and commitment.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event, organised by ASF France, also known as Lawyers Without Borders France, was attended by different secondary schools across Nigeria.
Uzoma-Iwuchukwu said the competition was designed to ensure the beginning of a louder, more unified call for safe, inclusive and empowering digital spaces for all.
According to her, we are gathered here because we believe in a simple but powerful idea: that young voices matter.
“That when we empower students to speak up about issues like cyberbullying, online gender-based violence, digital inclusion, and online safety, we are not just shaping conversations—we are shaping the future.
“We live in a time where a single tweet can spark a movement, and a video uploaded by a teenager can educate millions.
“But this same digital world can also be a space of harm—of hate, exclusion, and violation.
“That is why this competition matters. That is why you matter.
“Through your poems, your plays, your spoken words, your videos—you have refused to be silent.
“You have chosen to be advocates, defenders, and digital citizens. And for that, you already stand as winners in our eyes,” she said.
The Executive Secretary of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Anthony Ojukwu, SAN, has said the Federal Government has the responsibility to protect digital rights of every Nigerian.
Ojukwu said anyone whose digital rights had been violated should lodged complaints at the commission.
He advised users of internet to use it responsibly.
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“A lot of educative materials are on the internet. Therefore, exposure to digital technology should not be used negatively.
“We should use it positively to develop the country. We should not use it to hurt others.
” Cyberbullying is infringing on the rights of other people. We should not use the internet to negatively hurt others.
“We should respect the people’s privacy. Our rights must be expressed responsibly. Use the internet to educate yourself, not bully others,” he said.
Ojukwu said that using the internet without restraint would be counter-productive.
NAN observes that at the end of the competition, Sonmori Senior Comprehensive High School, Lagos won with a N1 million star prize and Government Secondary School Wuse Zone 3, Abuja, came second with a prize of ₦750, 000.
While Alvana Model Secondary School, Imo came third place with N500, 000 reward, New GSTC Kano, Kano State, came fourth place with ₦350,000 prize.
