A new survey by the Federal Ministry of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy has revealed that more than four in five Nigerians support some form of regulation of social media use by children.
The findings were presented by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, at a roundtable on the Protection of Children Online held in Lagos on Thursday. The event was organised in collaboration with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).
The 2024 poll, titled “Proposed Social Media Age Regulation in Nigeria,” gathered responses from 585 Nigerians and examined public opinion on risks, legal frameworks, enforcement mechanisms and possible policy directions.
Presenting the results, the Minister’s Senior Special Adviser, Kasim Sodangi, said the survey showed strong backing for age-based restrictions similar to measures already being implemented in some countries, including Australia.
According to the findings, 83.4 per cent of respondents supported regulating children’s access to social media platforms, with 64.8 per cent favouring outright regulation and 18.6 per cent supporting regulation with a different minimum age threshold.
The survey also indicated that 64.5 per cent of respondents preferred a minimum social media age of 16 or 17 years, higher than the widely adopted global benchmark of 13 years.
Sodangi noted that 98.6 per cent of respondents identified as Nigerians, suggesting that the results largely reflect domestic perspectives on child online safety.
“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,” he said.
The survey further revealed widespread concern about children’s safety online, with 93.5 per cent of respondents expressing either extreme or high concern about risks faced by minors on social media platforms.
Among those, 69.2 per cent said they were extremely concerned, while 24.3 per cent reported high concern.
Exposure to harmful or inappropriate content was identified as the most significant risk, cited by 90.9 per cent of respondents. This was followed by digital addiction at 83.6 per cent and online grooming at 82.4 per cent.
The findings also showed that 74.5 per cent of respondents believed that children and parents lack sufficient awareness of cybercrime laws and online safety obligations.
A significant majority—97.6 per cent—supported the introduction of a duty-of-care framework requiring digital platforms to take proactive steps to protect young users.
Speaking at the event, Minister Bosun Tijani said the rapid evolution of digital platforms requires continuous policy updates to address emerging risks facing children online.
He said social media platforms offer opportunities for education and innovation but stressed the need for safeguards to protect minors from harmful content and exploitation.
“The debate should focus on implementing age restrictions effectively rather than questioning the need for such safeguards,” the minister said.
He added that Nigeria could leverage digital identity systems and platform verification tools to enforce age-related restrictions more effectively, while acknowledging that no system is entirely foolproof.
Officials of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission also raised concerns about rising online threats, including cyberbullying, cyberstalking, exposure to harmful content and mental health challenges among young users.
NDPC National Commissioner Dr Vincent Olatunji said internet access remains vital for education and development but must be balanced with strong protections for children.
He described child online safety as a shared responsibility involving government, parents, schools, communities and digital platforms.
Stakeholders at the roundtable called for improved digital literacy, stronger age-verification systems, enhanced parental supervision and greater accountability from technology companies.
The report is expected to inform ongoing policy discussions on digital safety, child protection and the regulation of online platforms in Nigeria.
