Governments across Africa are using internet shutdowns to silence dissent, often citing national security as justification. A February 2025 report by Access Now disclosed there were 296 internet shutdowns across 54 countries worldwide in 2024, of which 28 occurred in 18 African countries. Internet shutdowns are an existential threat to democracy and the economy because they disrupt economic activities, especially online businesses like financial service providers, and hinder economic progress. To safeguard Africa’s democracy and economic future, urgent steps are necessary to reverse this trend. National regulators and telecommunications operators must challenge illegal shutdown orders. There is a need for judicial oversight to hold government regulators accountable. Journalists, civil society organizations, and activists should collaborate to advocate for digital rights.
Government regulators in African countries should safeguard digital rights. Regulatory bodies like the Nigerian Communications Commission, Communications Authority of Kenya, and Independent Communications Authority of South Africa should challenge shutdown directives that lack justification. They should demand transparency and ensure that restrictions follow due legal processes. Telecommunications operators must also resist unlawful shutdown orders and refuse to implement such orders unless issued by a court. Following due process will ensure respect for citizens’ rights to free expression, access to information, and advance democracy overall.
…there were 296 internet shutdowns across 54 countries worldwide in 2024, of which 28 occurred in 18 African countries.
Judicial intervention is necessary to hold government regulators accountable for illegal shutdowns. It will prevent the government’s abuse of power, especially when shutdowns violate constitutional rights such as free expression and access to information.
For instance, between June 2021 and January 2022, the Nigerian government ordered a Twitter ban because the platform deleted former President Muhammad Buhari’s tweets and suspended his account. In July 2022, the Economic Community of West African States Court ruled the suspension unlawful. The court also said it was inconsistent with Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This decision shows that judicial intervention can help safeguard citizens’ rights to information and expression.
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) has intervened in the situation, but the intervention remains ineffective, as countries often disregard its recommendations and directives. For example, in March 2024, the ACHPR adopted a landmark resolution to prevent internet shutdowns during elections. However, Mauritius disregarded the resolution and ordered a shutdown in November 2024. This situation highlights African countries’ unwillingness to protect their citizens’ digital rights and uphold democratic principles. It also reveals these countries’ failure to embrace the internet as a tool for democratic and economic progress. Instead, the internet has become a tool for control; something they can switch on and off at will.
Following due process will ensure respect for citizens’ rights to free expression, access to information, and advance democracy overall.
The African Union (AU) can intervene by establishing enforceable legal reforms to protect digital rights. For example, the AU should amend Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to recognize internet access as part of the right to expression, stipulating the conditions for internet shutdowns and penalties for offenders.
In addition, the AU can amend Article 27 of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance to prevent internet shutdowns during elections or public protests. The amendment should state penalties for violation and include sanctions such as suspending voting rights in AU proceedings for repeat violators. These targeted changes will ensure the effectiveness of the AU’s digital rights framework beyond a symbolic commitment.
Journalists, civil society organizations, and activists should raise awareness about digital rights through campaigns, workshops, and community outreaches. They should challenge repressive policies through the courts and engage policymakers to ensure guaranteed internet access during crises. They can also propose reforms to stop unlawful internet shutdowns by drafting policy recommendations and submitting them to the government.
African countries must see the internet as a tool for development and a safeguard for democracy, not a tool to silence dissent.
Ayomide Eweje is a writing fellow at African Liberty.
Article first published by Daily Monitor.
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