Majority of Nigerians Back Social Media Regulation to Protect Children

A recent survey conducted by the Federal Ministry of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy has shown that the vast majority of Nigerians are in favour of implementing regulations on social media to safeguard children. The survey, which was presented by the Senior Special Adviser to the Minister, Kasim Sodangi, at a roundtable discussion in Lagos, revealed that 83.4 per cent of respondents supported the regulation of children's access to social media platforms. The roundtable, which was organised in collaboration with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, aimed to discuss the protection of children online and the potential risks associated with social media use. According to Sodangi, the survey captured the views of 585 Nigerians and covered various aspects, including risks, legal frameworks, enforcement, and the way forward. The survey also showed that 64.8 per cent of respondents supported outright regulation of children's social media use, while 18.6 per cent supported regulation but preferred a different minimum age threshold. Furthermore, 64.5 per cent of respondents favoured a minimum social media age of 16 years or 17 years, which is above the widely adopted global threshold of 13. The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, noted that the fast-changing digital ecosystem demands constant adaptation of laws, policies, and safeguards to address emerging threats facing children online. He emphasized that while social media offers opportunities for learning and innovation, children must be protected from harmful content, exploitation, and other digital risks. The minister also stated that Nigeria can deploy digital identity infrastructure and existing platform verification systems to strengthen enforcement of age-based social media regulations. The NDPC National Commissioner, Dr Vincent Olatunji, warned that children faced increasing threats across digital platforms and online environments, including cyberbullying, cyberstalking, harmful content exposure, and mental health concerns. He described child online safety as a shared responsibility involving government agencies, parents, schools, communities, and digital platform operators. Participants at the roundtable called for stronger digital literacy programmes, improved age-verification systems, enhanced parental guidance, and greater accountability from digital platforms.