National Assembly To Enact Law Against Child Digital Exploitation

The National Assembly has pledged to fast-track the passage of the Child Online Access Protection Bill (2023) as part of efforts to safeguard Nigerian children from rising cases of online exploitation and digital abuse.

This commitment was made on Monday in Abuja during the Stakeholders’ Forum on Digital Safety and Online Harms in Nigeria, organised by the National Online Safety Coalition in partnership with Gatefield and Paradigm Initiative (PIN).

The forum also unveiled the Gatefield State of Online Harm in Nigeria Report, which revealed that at least 50 per cent of Nigerian internet users regularly experience various forms of online harm, including misinformation, hate speech, cyberbullying, and child exploitation.

Speaking at the event, the Chairman of the House Committee on Justice and sponsor of the bill, Hon. Olumide Osoba, described the growing rate of child online abuse as a “national emergency for digital safety.”

“The internet has become a space where children encounter daily harm; every sector must play its part in building a culture of online responsibility,” Osoba said.

“After COVID-19, we saw how children were exposed to predators online. The figures show that 90 per cent of our children have faced online risks — that should alarm everyone.”

He said the proposed legislation seeks to establish a comprehensive legal framework to protect minors in digital environments.

It mandates the prompt removal of illegal content, enforces platform accountability, and introduces penalties for non-compliance by internet service providers and digital platforms.

“For every child we fail to protect, a digital predator succeeds,” Osoba warned. “We must create a system that empowers and safeguards our young people.”

Also, senior programmes officer at Paradigm Initiative, Khadijah Usman, described the issue as “both an urgent and moral obligation.”

In his remarks, the National Human Rights Commission executive secretary, Dr Tony Ojukwu, said the proposed bill would set new standards for responsible data handling and child protection online.

He also called for greater accountability from global tech companies operating in Nigeria.

Experts at the forum urged a coordinated national approach to tackling online harms, recommending: “Mandatory employment of local content moderators by tech platforms, with real penalties for inaction on harmful content.

“Integrating digital literacy into school curricula to help children identify scams, understand algorithms, and protect their privacy.

“Establishment of a Digital Citizens’ Charter defining online rights and responsibilities.

“Review and clarify the Cybercrimes Act, alongside expedited passage of the Child Online Access Protection Bill (2023).”

Presenting new data, Shirley Ewang, the Advocacy Lead at Gatefield, said weak enforcement and poor platform accountability have allowed harmful online behaviour to thrive.

The survey of over 500 Nigerian internet users found that: 50% of users experience online harms regularly, 58% of online harms target women, 31% of users said harmful content remains online after being reported, 90% of children face online risks, and 34% of reported online harms occur on X (formerly Twitter).

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