…As report reveals 90% Nigerian children face one form of cyber risk

The National Assembly has pledged to expedite the passage of the Child Online Safety and Protection Bill, in response to growing concerns over children’s exposure to online dangers.

This commitment follows the presentation of a new report, the State of Online Harm in Nigeria, by Gatefield, which revealed a troubling picture; 50 per cent of internet users experience online harm regularly, and an alarming 90 per cent of Nigerian children have encountered one form of cyber risk, including exposure to harmful content, online grooming, cyber bullying and exploitation.

At the Gatefield Child Online Safety Forum on Monday in Abuja, Chair of the House Committee on Justice and sponsor of the Child Online Access Protection Bill (2023), Hon. Olumide Osoba, pledged to fast-track the legislation, promising its passage within three months.

The proposed legislation establishes a legal framework for safeguarding minors in digital environments. It mandates the prompt removal of illegal content, platform accountability, and penalties for non-compliance by internet service providers and digital platforms.

Describing the situation as “deeply alarming,” he said: “The internet has become a space where children encounter daily harm; every sector needs to play its part in building a culture of online responsibility.

“After COVID, the House sat and discussed all that we witnessed. We saw how our children were exposed to predators, and the figures show that 90% of our children are victims, which should scare everyone. For every child we fail to protect, a digital predator succeeds. We must create a system that empowers.”

The Gatefield report, based on a survey of over 500 Nigerian internet users, highlighted the severity of online harm.

Presenting the new data, Advocacy Lead at Gatefield, Shirley Ewang Olanrewaju, noted that the lack of platform accountability was creating real-world harm, as he emphasised the need for Nigeria to regulate online spaces effectively without infringing on freedom of expression

The report revealed that “50% of users experience online harms regularly, 58% of online harms target women, 31% reported that harmful content is never removed, 90% of children face online risks, 34% of online harms occur on X (formerly Twitter)”

While noting that X, formerly known as Twitter, was the leading platform for online harm in Nigeria, followed by Facebook and WhatsApp, Olanrewaju added that leading forms of online harm include fake news, misinformation, hate speech, which were highest during electioneering seasons, as well as online gender-based violence.

She said: “As internet access expands, online harms are also expanding and that is jeopardising our digital safety. There is a lack of enforcement mechanisms and accountability for big tech, and that’s something we must urgently address.

Citing weak content moderation and the absence of local accountability mechanisms, Olanrewaju called for stronger digital literacy programmes, gender-sensitive interventions, and regulatory reforms, including the passage of the Child Online Access Protection Bill, to ensure safer digital environments for Nigerians.

She further advocated for a comprehensive Online Safety Bill to be developed collaboratively among government agencies, the legislature, and civil society groups to establish an integrated national framework for online safety.

“Online safety is a shared responsibility. It’s not something one stakeholder can solve alone. We must act together to ensure that Nigeria leads Africa in protecting its children and citizens online.”

The report, according to Olanrewaju, recommended the following steps for Nigeria: directing” tech platforms to employ local moderators and face penalties for failing to remove harmful content, integrating digital literacy into school curricula to help children recognise scams, understand algorithms, and safeguard privacy.

Others include: “establishing a Digital Citizens Charter to define online rights and responsibilities, updating the Cybercrimes Act while expediting the passage of the Child Online Access Protection Bill.”

Insights and Analytics Lead at Gatefield, Farida Adamu, noted that, “An entire generation is navigating online threats without safeguards..Every day we delay, more children face preventable harm.”

Representatives from civil society echoed the call for immediate action. Khadijah El Usman of Paradigm Initiative described online child protection as both “an urgent and moral obligation.

On his part, the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Dr Tony Ojukwu, emphasised the Bill’s potential to set new standards for data handling and platform accountability.