A new Nigerian government survey has found that more than four in five Nigerians support some form of social media regulation for children, reflecting growing public concern over online safety, harmful content and digital risks facing young users.
The findings, communicated by the Federal Ministry of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy during a roundtable on the Protection of Children Online in Lagos, reveal widespread support for stricter protections and age-based restrictions on minors’ access to social media platforms.
According to the survey “Proposed Social Media Age Regulation in Nigeria,” 83.4% of respondents favored regulating children’s access to social media platforms..
Senior Special Adviser to the Minister, Kasim Sodangi, noted that the public consultation captured the views of 585 respondents and examined issues ranging from online risks and legal frameworks to enforcement mechanisms and policy options.
According to the survey, 64.8% of respondents supported outright regulation of children’s social media use, while an additional 18.6 per cent favored regulation but preferred a different minimum age threshold.
The findings also revealed strong support for raising the minimum age for social media access. About 64.5% of respondents stated they believed the minimum age should be set at either 16 or 17 years, significantly higher than the globally recognized benchmark of 13 years used by many major social media platforms.
Kasim Sodangi noted that the survey’s findings closely reflected domestic opinion, with 98.6 per cent of respondents identifying as Nigerian.
“This near-total Nigerian representation ensures that the survey results authentically reflect the perspectives of those most directly affected by any proposed social media age regulation in Nigeria.”
Kasim Sodangi
He added that, “the findings of this poll are grounded in the lived experiences and concerns of Nigerian citizens, making the data highly relevant for domestic policy formulation.”
Moreover, public concern about children’s online safety also emerged as one of the strongest themes in the survey.
An overwhelming 93.5 per cent of respondents mentioned that they were either greatly or extremely concerned about the safety of children under the age of 18 on social media platforms. Of that figure, 69.2% described themselves as extremely concerned, while 24.3% indicated they were highly concerned.
The survey identified exposure to harmful or inappropriate content as the most common perceived threat facing Nigerian children online, with 90.9% of respondents highlighting it as a major risk.
Digital addiction ranked second at 83.6 per cent, while online grooming and exploitation followed closely at 82.4%.
The findings also pointed to widespread concern about the lack of public awareness regarding online dangers. Nearly three-quarters of respondents, representing 74.5%, believed that children and parents did not adequately understand the legal implications of cyber offences or the broader risks associated with online activity.
Public Support Grows for Stricter Child Online Safety Measures
Furthermore, support for stronger platform accountability was equally significant.
According to the survey, 97.6% of respondents backed the introduction of a duty-of-care framework that would require social media companies to take proactive measures to protect children from harm and reduce exposure to dangerous content.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, stressed that the rapidly evolving nature of the digital ecosystem required governments and regulators to continually update policies and safeguards to respond to emerging threats.
He acknowledged that social media platforms provide valuable opportunities for education, communication and innovation, but stressed that children must be protected from exploitation, harmful content and other online dangers.
“The debate should focus on implementing age restrictions effectively rather than questioning the need for such safeguards”
Bosun Tijani
He argued that “Nigeria can deploy digital identity infrastructure and existing platform verification systems to strengthen enforcement of age-based social media regulations.” “The fact that some people may bypass regulations is not a reason for safeguards not to exist,” he added.
Tijani further emphasised that protecting children online could not be left solely to government institutions, describing it as a collective responsibility involving parents, schools, technology companies and civil society organisations.
Similarly, National Commissioner of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Dr Vincent Olatunji also warned that children face an increasingly complex range of threats in digital spaces.
He identified cyberbullying, cyberstalking, harmful content exposure and online activities that negatively affect mental health as some of the most pressing challenges confronting young internet users.
Olatunji said that while internet access remained essential for education, personal development and economic opportunities, appropriate safeguards were needed to ensure that children could benefit from technology without being exposed to unnecessary risks.
The NDPC chief also cautioned that any future changes to age-related regulations should be developed through broad stakeholder consultations and follow established legislative procedures to ensure public confidence and effective implementation.
This dialogue takes place in the midst of a growing global controversy around kids’ use of social media. UN cautioned that prohibiting children from using social media is the solution, but several nations have recently considered or implemented stricter regulations aimed at limiting minors’ access to digital platforms.
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