West Africa Internet Governance Forum 2021

The Internet Way of Networking can help assess whether new ideas support the best potential of the Internet. Its five critical properties are a stable frame of reference to evaluate current networking conditions, proposals for technological development, regulations and technical governance arrangements. If a new development undermines or even reverses one or more of the critical properties, we now have an easily applicable lens through which to view its effects. As the Internet evolves, the Internet Way of Networking helps us evaluate incremental changes and external trends in a forward-looking way that keeps the fundamentals of success front and centre.
For policymakers and technologists, the Internet Impact Assessment Toolkit (IIAT) can act as an additional layer of accountability and provides a roadmap for conscious and informed decisions about how to keep the Internet healthy. This session will discuss how the DearGov and the ISOC Nigeria Chapter utilised the IIAT to assess implications of the proposed Nigeria Social Media Bill.