Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Naija Across Borders ("we," "us," or "our") operates this website, a global Nigerian media platform covering news, governance, accountability, culture, diaspora stories, and public voices. We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting the personal information you share with us.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you visit our website, subscribe to our newsletter, submit a story, contact us, vote in a poll, or otherwise interact with the platform — and how we use, share, and safeguard that information.

By using this website, you consent to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree with it, please discontinue use of the site.

2. Information We Collect

Information You Provide Voluntarily

• Newsletter subscription: your email address, and optionally your full name and location, so we can deliver our newsletters to you.
• Reader submissions: your full name, email address, location, story title, category, message, and any attachment (such as photos or documents) you choose to include.
• Contact form: your full name, email address, subject, and message.
• Polls and community engagement: your votes are recorded in aggregate; we do not attach poll votes to your identity.

Information Collected Automatically

• Usage data: pages visited, time spent on the site, referring website, approximate geographic region derived from your IP address, browser type, and device type.
• Cookies and similar technologies: small files stored on your device that help the site function, remember preferences, and measure audience activity (see Section 4).

We do not knowingly collect sensitive information such as national identification numbers, financial account details, or health data through this website, and you should not send such information in submissions or messages.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Operate, maintain, and improve the website and our journalism.
• Send newsletters, updates, and editorial content you have requested. Every newsletter includes an unsubscribe link.
• Review, fact-check, edit, and — where appropriate — publish reader submissions. We may contact you about your submission using the email address you provided.
• Respond to messages sent through our contact form.
• Analyze audience engagement so we can publish stories that matter to Nigerians at home and abroad.
• Display advertising, including personalized advertising through third-party partners (see Section 5).
• Detect, prevent, and address spam, abuse, and security issues.

We will never sell your personal information.

4. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Like most modern websites, Naija Across Borders uses cookies and similar technologies (such as local storage) to make the site work better for you.

Types of cookies we use

• Essential cookies: required for core features such as security (including CSRF protection), form handling, and basic navigation. The site may not function correctly without them.
• Preference cookies: remember choices such as your display preferences.
• Analytics cookies: help us understand which stories are read and how visitors move through the site, so we can improve it.
• Advertising cookies: set by us and third-party advertising partners to show ads, limit how many times you see an ad, and measure advertising effectiveness.

Managing cookies

Most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies through their settings. If you block or delete cookies, parts of the site — including personalized advertising — may not function as intended. You can also opt out of personalized advertising through the mechanisms described in Section 5.

5. Google AdSense & Advertising

We use Google AdSense and may work with other third-party advertising vendors to display advertisements on this website. Advertising helps keep our journalism free and accessible.

• Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this website or other websites.
• Google's use of advertising cookies (including the DoubleClick DART cookie) enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to this site and/or other sites on the internet.
• You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings.
• You can also opt out of third-party vendor cookies for personalized advertising at aboutads.info and youronlinechoices.eu (for visitors in the EU/EEA and UK).
• For information on how Google uses data when you use our partners' sites or apps, see Google's Privacy & Terms.

These third-party ad servers and networks operate under their own privacy policies. We do not control their cookies or their data practices, and this Privacy Policy does not apply to their activities.

6. Analytics

We may use analytics services such as Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the site — for example, which stories are most read or how readers find us. These services collect information such as pages viewed, session duration, approximate location, and device type, and may set their own cookies.

You can review Google's privacy practices at policies.google.com/privacy. You may also install the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.

7. How We Share Information

We do not sell or rent your personal information. We share it only in these limited circumstances:

• Service providers: with trusted vendors who help us operate the website (for example, hosting, email delivery, and analytics providers), bound by obligations to process data only on our instructions.
• Advertising partners: as described in Section 5, advertising vendors may receive cookie-based data to serve and measure ads.
• Legal requirements: where we believe disclosure is required by law, regulation, or legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Naija Across Borders, our readers, or the public.
• Business transfers: in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, in which case we will notify you before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

8. Data Retention

We keep personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy:

• Newsletter subscriptions are retained while your subscription is active, and are deleted after you unsubscribe, except where a record is needed to honor your opt-out.
• Reader submissions and contact messages are retained while we review them and, where published or relevant, for editorial record-keeping. Submissions that are not used may be deleted.
• Aggregated analytics data may be retained in non-identifying form for longer periods.

9. Your Privacy Rights & Choices

Wherever you live, we aim to give you meaningful control over your data. Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to:

• Access: request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correct: request correction of inaccurate information.
• Delete: request deletion of your personal information.
• Object or restrict: object to or request restriction of certain processing, including personalized advertising.
• Withdraw consent: unsubscribe from newsletters at any time using the link in every email, or contact us to withdraw other consents.
• Non-discrimination: exercise these rights without being unfairly treated for doing so.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the address in Section 14. If you are in the European Economic Area, the UK, or another jurisdiction with a data protection authority, you may also have the right to lodge a complaint with that authority.

10. Children's Privacy

This website is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us, and we will delete it promptly.

11. Data Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures — including encrypted connections (HTTPS), access controls, and standard web application protections — to safeguard your information. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. Please use strong, unique passwords and avoid sending sensitive personal documents through web forms.

12. External Links

Our articles, submissions, and resources may contain links to external websites — including social media platforms, government publications, and partner organizations. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of those sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party site you visit.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page shows when it was last revised. Material changes will be announced on this page, and continued use of the website after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, want to exercise your privacy rights, or need to report a concern, contact us:

• Privacy contact: AYOKUNLE ALABA ADEBAYO (Haywhy De Rhymer), Founder & Publisher
• Contact page: use the form on our Contact page
• Email: via the contact details published on our Contact page

We aim to respond to privacy-related requests within 30 days.