Nigeria has proposed a six-hour deadline for technology companies to remove verified non-consensual intimate images from their platforms as part of a comprehensive national framework to combat image-based sexual abuse.
The proposal is contained in the National Model of Response to Non-Consensual Sharing of Intimate Images, which recommends stronger legal sanctions, specialised cybercrime investigations and improved support services for victims.
The framework seeks to address the unauthorised sharing of intimate photographs and videos, including sexually explicit images generated or manipulated using artificial intelligence (AI).
It recommends clearer accountability requirements for digital platforms, proportionate sanctions for non-compliance and improved reporting channels to enable victims to seek justice.
Under the proposed measures, relevant government agencies, law enforcement bodies and internet service providers would establish a coordinated system for removing abusive content. The framework also recommends a memorandum of understanding among the relevant stakeholders to facilitate prompt action.
It further proposes granting the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) direct access to report non-consensual intimate images to internet service providers, alongside improved local-language content moderation to make online platforms more responsive to Nigerian users.
The document recommends amendments to the Cybercrimes Act to clarify offences involving the creation and distribution of AI-generated intimate images and establish proportionate penalties, including tougher sanctions for repeat offenders.
It also proposes amendments to the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act and the Evidence Act to strengthen protections against technology-facilitated abuse and improve the authentication and integrity of electronic evidence.
The National Assembly is urged to consider establishing a statutory right to identity protection in digital spaces, enabling individuals to seek legal remedies when their likeness is used without consent in intimate or sexualised contexts.
The framework also calls on Nigeria to ratify the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime to strengthen international cooperation among criminal justice institutions.
Beyond content removal and prosecution, the proposed model places significant emphasis on victim support.
It recommends expanding free, specialised helplines and support services, establishing accessible online and offline reporting channels, and providing continuous psychological assistance to survivors.
The document also calls for increased government funding for cybercrime prevention and efforts to combat violence against women, including dedicated resources for victims of non-consensual intimate-image sharing.
It proposes creating a legal assistance fund for victims or designating such cases as priorities under existing legal aid schemes administered by the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria.
The framework maintains that access to justice should not depend on a victim’s ability to pay for legal representation.
It further recommends stronger referral systems connecting victims with law enforcement agencies, legal aid providers and psychosocial support services.
A survivors’ forum is also proposed to help identify victims’ needs, share experiences and inform improvements to the national response. The framework urges compensation mechanisms to recognise the reputational and economic harm caused by the unauthorised circulation of intimate images.
Employers and institutions are encouraged to adopt non-discriminatory policies to prevent victims from suffering professional disadvantages because of intimate material shared without their consent.
To improve criminal justice outcomes, the document recommends specialised investigation and prosecution procedures, enhanced digital forensic capabilities and training for investigators, prosecutors and judges.
It calls for standard operating procedures covering digital evidence preservation, electronic crime-scene management and the maintenance of an unbroken chain of custody.
The framework also proposes strengthening digital forensic infrastructure within the Office of the National Security Adviser and other relevant agencies, while decentralising services to improve accessibility.
It recommends expanding the Joint Case Team on Cybercrime’s case-management system to accommodate image-based abuse cases, including a database of digital image hashes to help identify previously reported material circulating online.
The document also advocates wider use of tools such as StopNCII.org, which helps prevent the circulation of non-consensual intimate images, and proposes a single official reporting channel, including a dedicated telephone number for immediate assistance.
A database of offenders, modelled on the National Sexual Offenders Database established under the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, is also proposed.
On AI-related abuse, the framework recommends universal invisible-watermarking standards for AI-generated content and clearer liability rules for individuals and platforms involved in creating or distributing deepfake intimate images.
AI developers are urged to maintain adequately resourced safety teams capable of conducting human-led reviews to identify non-consensual intimate imagery.
Technology companies would also be encouraged to publish information on their content-removal procedures, average response times and the volume of verified abusive images detected and removed.
The framework proposes integrating education on consent, online safety, cyber hygiene and image-based sexual abuse into primary, secondary and tertiary school curricula.
It also identifies media organisations, telecommunications companies, content creators, community leaders and religious institutions as important partners in public awareness campaigns.
The proposed national response assigns responsibilities to the National Assembly, relevant ministries, the NCC, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, the National Information Technology Development Agency, law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, civil society organisations and private-sector operators.
The framework seeks to establish a coordinated approach that combines prevention, legal accountability, platform responsibility, victim rehabilitation and access to justice.
However, the recommended six-hour takedown deadline and proposed legal amendments remain proposals under the framework; their inclusion in the document does not mean they have been enacted into law.
