Amnesty International Nigeria has trained 18 micro-influencers in Enugu to strengthen human rights advocacy and promote responsible digital engagement amid growing concerns over cyberbullying, misinformation, election-related incitement and online abuse.
The two-day training, held on Wednesday under the theme “Strengthening Human Rights Defenders to Protect Civic Space,” brought together content creators with focused online audiences to equip them with the knowledge and skills to defend human rights both online and offline.
Speaking at the programme, Media and Communications Manager of Amnesty International Nigeria, Dooshima Tsee, said human rights violations were increasingly extending into digital spaces, making it necessary to empower online influencers to protect civic freedoms and promote responsible content creation.
Tsee identified cyberbullying, inciting speeches ahead of elections, the political misuse of digital platforms and the sexualisation of children online as some of the emerging threats requiring urgent attention.
She said the programme had previously been held in Lagos, with 20 participants, and Abuja, with 19, while the Enugu cohort comprised 18 participants drawn from diverse areas, including girl-child education and career development.
According to her, participants were carefully selected based on their non-affiliation with political parties, a follower range of 5,000 to 15,000, a record of producing human rights-related content and a demonstrated passion for advocacy.
Tsee added that the Enugu participants had shown considerable engagement and were already incorporating human rights issues into their online activities.
Speaking on “The Power of Micro-Influence and Responsibility,” popular food content creator and founder of Ify’s Table, Ify Mogekwu, popularly known as Ify’s Kitchen, urged digital creators to recognise that having an audience was a privilege that came with responsibility.
She stressed that every post must be accurate, honest and fair while respecting the fundamental human rights of others.
Mogekwu noted that although the Constitution guarantees freedom of expression, content creators must avoid violating other people’s rights through misinformation and the publication of unverified content.
She warned against posting people’s photographs and phone numbers without their consent, explaining that such actions could expose individuals to offline attacks and dehumanisation.
While opposing government regulation of the digital space, she advocated more educational initiatives such as Amnesty International’s training to help creators become responsible digital citizens.
She urged influencers to examine whether their content was true, necessary and protective of human dignity before publishing it.
One of the participants, Joel Obumneme Enebechi, a virtual legal assistant and law graduate awaiting law school, said his advocacy focused on human rights, particularly climate justice and the social rights of women and children.
Enebechi described the training as important, noting that even influencers with between 5,000 and 10,000 followers could make a meaningful impact if their content influenced between 50 and 500 people.
He said the programme had reinforced the need to verify information before publication and respect the dignity, privacy and consent of people featured in online content.
According to him, content creators should seek permission before using people’s images and blur faces where necessary to protect their identities.
Another participant, Chidera Ekoh Udechukwu, founder of Blossom Heart Foundation and a climate change advocate, said she learnt about the programme through the SSDO platform, where she engages in climate-related work, and registered because of her passion for advocacy.
Udechukwu said the training had strengthened her understanding of accuracy and responsibility in digital influence, adding that she would henceforth verify the truth, accuracy and potential impact of content before sharing it with her audience.
Amnesty International Nigeria said the completion of the trainings in Lagos, Abuja and Enugu had helped build a new generation of micro-influencers equipped to defend civic space through accurate information and respect for human dignity.
The initiative comes amid concerns over the spread of misinformation, election-related incitement and digital abuse, with the organisation seeking to encourage responsible online engagement and strengthen human rights protection across digital platforms.
