A coalition of parents and advocacy organisation Gatefield has called on the National Assembly to prioritise the passage of the Online Child Protection Bill, saying stronger legal measures are needed to protect Nigerian children from growing online dangers.
The call was made at a media roundtable in Abuja, where participants expressed concern that although the proposed legislation has passed its first reading in the Senate, progress has been slow. They urged lawmakers to move quickly with the remaining legislative process.
Gatefield Campaign Lead, Christina Oyinkansola Akintoye, said Nigeria has more than 100 million children between the ages of 11 and 16 who now rely heavily on digital platforms, making online safety an urgent national issue.
She said the legislature has a responsibility to ensure technology companies adopt stricter measures to protect young users, noting that many social media platforms were created without adequate child safety features.
“Our children are growing up on largely unregulated social media platforms. The National Assembly can use its legislative powers to ensure technology companies do more to protect them.”
Mrs Emmanuella Iyayi, who leads Chazown by Ella’s Bookclub, said cyberbullying continues to affect children and warned that parents cannot leave the responsibility of online safety to schools or the government alone.
“It is important for parents to create time for their children because, in many cases, children never forget what they see online.”
Also speaking, CISLAC’s Legal and Programme Officer, Mrs Onyinyechi Amy, said protecting children online requires cooperation between families, government and technology firms.
“If children are well protected, it will be difficult for predators to reach them. Parents are the first gate of protection, government is the second, while technology companies are the third.”
The group also encouraged schools to increase opportunities for outdoor activities by restoring regular break periods, arguing that children should not spend excessive time using digital devices.
They further urged the government to establish clearer rules guiding the kind of online content children can access.
Akintoye said the problem has become widespread, revealing that most Nigerian children have experienced some form of online abuse. She added that harmful content can appear before children within seconds of going online, while many abusive materials involving minors remain on the internet for extended periods before being removed.