Digital Age: Experts Seek Child Rights Protection

Experts and child rights advocacy stakeholders are calling for the protection of children from abuse, especially in the midst of rising digital exposure in the country.

Speaking at the ‘Child Online Safety, Protection and Reporting of Abuse Summit,’ organised by the Ndukwe-Kalu Foundation (NKF) in Akoka, Lagos, education stakeholders, government officials, technology experts and students advocated strengthening safeguards for children as digital exposure continues to rise across the country.

Reviewing the organisation’s interventions, the executive secretary of the foundation, Erica Okibe, said more than 80 per cent of students now operate online, a trend she described as both inevitable and worrisome.

She explained that NKF works closely with partners, including the Internet Registration Association, to improve online protection for children through targeted awareness programmes linked to the national .ng domain registry.

Okibe noted that the foundation has expanded its digital literacy outreach in Lagos and Abuja, reaching over 500 students and several teachers through sensitisation and training programmes.

According to her, the newly introduced Students’ Sensitisation Drive will be scaled up in 2026, while NKF continues to support DNS-related research by awarding grants to students and technology experts.

She appreciates the Lagos State government for its sustained support of child safety initiatives.

The vice chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof Folashade Ogunshola, represented by the dean of Education, Adebayo Oladipo, commended NKF for choosing the institution as host, warning that children are increasingly exposed to cyberbullying, exploitation and harmful content as digital learning expands.

Prof Ogunshola stressed the need for stronger protection systems and encouraged children to speak up when facing online threats that may trigger depression or emotional distress.

Similarly, the president of the Internet Registration Association, Akinola Akinsanya said, the internet has evolved into a complex space marked by misinformation, cyberstalking and exploitation.