Abuja: Health experts, child rights advocates, and civil society organisations have described child online abuse as a growing public health emergency, calling for stronger laws, greater parental supervision, and collective action to protect Nigerian children from harmful digital content. The stakeholders made the call on Tuesday in Abuja during a Child Online Safety Media and Advocacy Roundtable organised by Gatefield and partners.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Dr. Chioma Kanu, Executive Director of the MAMA Centre, said child online safety should no longer be viewed only as a child rights issue but as a public health concern with far-reaching implications for children’s mental health and development. Kanu emphasized the rapid development of children’s brains between the ages of zero and seven, making them particularly vulnerable to harmful online content during this critical stage. She highlighted the role of the media in shaping culture, informing the public, and driving action to address this health issue.
Ms. Christina Akintoye, Lead Campaigns and Communications Strategist at Gatefield, warned that millions of Nigerian children remained vulnerable to online abuse due to weak regulations and inadequate safeguards. Akintoye pointed out that Nigeria, despite having Africa’s largest internet population, lacked adequate protections for children using digital platforms. She cited data from the Nigerian Communications Commission, indicating that many children in Nigeria have encountered sexual content online and have experienced unwanted sexual approaches through digital platforms.
Akintoye noted that some harmful content involving minors remained online for more than 48 hours before removal, highlighting gaps in platform accountability and child protection measures. She urged for stronger regulation and platform accountability, comparing the seriousness of child online abuse to previous public health emergencies.
Mrs. Emmanuella Iyayi, Convener of Chazown by Ella’s Bookclub, urged parents to actively supervise children’s online activities instead of allowing unrestricted access to internet-enabled devices. She emphasized the importance of digital literacy and online safety education for children before exposure to internet-enabled devices.
Ms. Amy Oninyechi Omara, Legal and Programme Officer at the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), stressed a coordinated response involving government, parents, technology companies, and civil society organisations to protect children online. Omara mentioned that CISLAC advocates for people-centred policy reforms, including the proposed Child Online Access Protection Bill, to enhance transparency and accountability among technology companies.
Dr. Nafisa Kabir, Training and Development Specialist at the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, called for clear laws to protect children from harmful online content, along with holding technology companies accountable for materials hosted on their platforms. She advocated for the inclusion of digital literacy and online safety education in school curricula.
Mr. Ojugo Onyelukchukwu-Ojay, an Abuja-based development consultant and aspiring diplomat, highlighted the need for a whole-of-society approach to child online protection. He urged the Federal Government to enact robust child online protection laws with clear sanctions for offenders, drawing attention to countries like New Zealand, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, and the United Kingdom, which have adopted stronger measures to protect children online.
The stakeholders collectively called on the National Assembly to expedite the passage of the Child Online Access Protection Bill. They emphasized that protecting children online should involve sustained collaboration among government, schools, technology companies, civil society organisations, the media, and families to ensure safer digital spaces for Nigerian children.