House of Reps orders immediate ban on pornographic websites in Nigeria

The House of Representatives has directed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to order all Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operating in the country to block access to websites hosting obscene and pornographic content nationwide.

During Tuesday’s plenary, lawmakers also urged the NCC to enforce the Nigerian Communications Act and the National Information Technology Development Act against any defaulting ISPs that fail to comply with the directive.

The resolutions were sequel to the adoption of a motion titled; ‘Need to Block Internet Websites Hosting Pornographic Contents and Sanction Defaulting Internet Service Providers’ moved by Hon. Dalhatu Shehu Tafoki (APC, Kano).

Moving the motion, Tafoki noted that cyber pornography is fast becoming a global problem and no concrete steps had been taken to curb the phenomenon of cyber pornography in Nigeria.

According to the lawmaker, Nigeria is a highly religious country and all the major religions in the country had forbidden nudity and obscenity in any form.

He said countries across Asia, Africa and the Middle-east had enacted legislations that ban pornography in their domains while renowned psychologists and sociologists around the world issued stern warnings on the psychological, sociological and mental consequences of viewing pornographic contents.

He expressed concern that some of the immediate effects of viewing pornographic contents include:
“(a) causing deception in marriage and which may later on, affect family life, (b) promoting adultery, prostitution and many unreal expectations that can result in dangerous promiscuous behavior.

“(c)Leading to addiction, escalation, desensitization and acting out sexually by one person; (d) change of attitude towards oneself and his family.”