Grace Semudara
Nigerian lawmaker and digital rights advocates has renewed call for urgent measures to safeguard children online, following new findings that show widespread exposure to digital threats.
A recent report by Gatefield, titled State of Online Harm in Nigeria, reveals that 90 percent of Nigerian children face online risks, while half of all internet users experience some form of online harm regularly.
The report was presented at the Gatefield Child Online Safety Forum in Abuja, convened with support from Luminate, to address the growing dangers of unregulated digital spaces.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Justice, Hon. Olumide Osoba, who sponsored the Child Online Access Protection Bill (2023), pledged to ensure its passage within three months, describing the issue as a “national emergency for digital safety.”
He noted that there are lots of harmful content that threaten the safety of children and their mental health.
“In the digital space, as a legislator and a parent first, I am deeply concerned about the increasing risk our children face online daily. The internet, though an extraordinary tool for education, innovation, and social connection, has also become a space where children encounter daily cyberbullying, online bullying, identity theft, and exploitation.
“The bill recognizes that while Nigeria has made commendable progress through initiatives such as the Nigerian Data Protection Act 2023, the vulnerabilities of children in cyberspace remain unique and urgent.”
In the same vein, he highlighted that the proposed legislation seeks to mandate Internet service providers to restrict access to violent or exploitive content.
“It will also penalize individuals and organizations that engage in cyber bullying, grooming, or the discrimination of intimate images of minors, promote digital literacy and online safety education for parents, teachers, and young people. It also aims to establish mechanism to promote and report abuse online.”
Gatefield Advocacy Lead, Shirley Ewang Olanrewaju, on her part warned that the lack of platform responsibility is resulting in real-world harm.
“An entire generation is navigating online threats without safeguard.
It is important to note that children are active on the internet and are currently facing a lot of harm as well.
“90% of the kids that we have today are facing at least one cyber crime or one cyber risk. And every half second that a child connects to the internet for the first time, they are facing this risk as well. We also have 97% of children that have reported sexual exploitation as a result of engaging with the internet.”
According to her , a report was conducted by the Nigerian Communication Commission, and they flagged some of the issues as it relates to child online harm. So 90% of Nigerian children are facing at least one cyber risk.”
“So if we are thinking of all of the online harm that I just mentioned, cyber bullying, misinformation, child exploitation, and people asking our children to do questionable things just because they are re online” Ewang stated.
The Senior Program Officer of Paradigm Initiative, Khadijah El Usman said the internet poses numerous risks to children, including data exploitation, cyberbullying, and non-consensual image sharing.
She emphasized the need for specific legislation to protect children online, citing the existing Child’s Rights Act as insufficient in addressing emerging challenges.
Usman noted that the legislation would not only protect children but also enable them to access the internet safely, thereby enhancing their global competitiveness.
“A Nigerian child that is unable to access the internet and technology now is rarely able to compete globally.
The proposed bill seeks to hold online platforms accountable for children’s safety and prevent harm before it occurs.
“The bill’s passage is expected to give parent and guardian greater peace of mind, knowing that online platforms are being held accountable for protecting young users. The forum demonstrated the organization’s commitment to ensuring a safer online environment for Nigerian children”, she said.
