The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Joash Amupitan (SAN), has urged Nigeria to urgently strengthen its legal and institutional frameworks to protect democracy in an increasingly digital world.

Speaking while chairing the 47th Founders’ Day Lecture of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies at the University of Lagos, Amupitan warned that rapid technological change is outpacing regulation and testing the resilience of Nigeria’s democratic institutions.

The lecture, themed “Civic Participation, Rule of Law and Accountable Governance in a Digital Era,” examined how digital tools are reshaping politics, public engagement and state accountability.

Amupitan noted that technology has opened new avenues for citizen participation and transparency, from social media campaigns to digital reporting platforms. However, he cautioned that the same tools are enabling misinformation, manipulation, data breaches and unregulated uses of artificial intelligence.

He argued that Nigeria needs a forward-looking legal framework that both embraces innovation and guards against abuses that could erode public trust in elections and governance. Innovation, he stressed, must not be allowed to outstrip regulation or weaken democratic safeguards.

Reflecting on the role of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, the INEC chair described Founders’ Day as a reminder that institutions remain relevant only when they respond effectively to contemporary challenges. He commended the institute for bridging legal theory and practice and urged it to deepen research on digital governance and regulatory reform.

Delivering the keynote lecture, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Theodore Maiyaki underscored the transformative impact of digital technology on civic life. Citizens, he observed, now engage not only through town halls and ballot boxes but also via hashtags, online petitions and virtual communities.

Maiyaki described the digital era as both enabling and disruptive, warning that platforms designed to democratise information can also fuel propaganda, surveillance and voter manipulation. Technology, he said, can either strengthen or weaken democracy depending on the safeguards in place.

He called for stronger protections in digital governance, including robust data protection laws, improved cybersecurity and transparency in the deployment of artificial intelligence. Civic engagement, he added, must extend beyond election periods, insisting that democracy falters when citizens retreat from continuous participation.

Other speakers, including senior academics and jurists, echoed the call for closer collaboration between legal scholars, policymakers and institutions like INEC to ensure that Nigeria’s laws keep pace with the realities of digital-era governance.