Ahead of Children’s Day, experts have called for the
accelerated passage of the Child Online Protection Bill (HB244).
To this end, they warned that Nigeria’s child
Online safety systems are struggling to keep pace with the growing harms children face online.
The Child Online Protection Bill, which passed the House of Representatives in December 2025, is currently before the Senate.
The concerned experts spoke on Tuesday during a Children’s Day webinar convened by
Gatefield and Cece Yara Child Advocacy Centre.
At the webinar, they highlighted emerging concerns around online grooming, exploitation, cyberbullying, and platform accountability in Nigeria.
Drawing on data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), insights shared during
The webinar showed that 9 in 10 Nigerian children have experienced at least one form of online risk, while more than half of child internet users have reported direct exposure to online harm,
including cyberbullying, grooming, exploitation, and abuse.
Speakers also noted that nearly nine in ten Nigerian children online have been exposed to unsolicited sexual content.
The experts also warned that repeated exposure to harmful online environments is contributing to a growing pattern of digital trauma among children, with long-term implications for mental health, learning, and well-being.
According to insights presented during the session, harmful content frequently
remains online long enough to spread widely before intervention occurs, while a significant volume, up to 31% of reported child exploitation material, is never removed.
Speaking, an Advocacy Lead at Gatefield, Shirley Ewang, called for accelerated Senate consideration of HB244, mandatory 24-hour
takedown standards for child sexual abuse and grooming content, stronger age verification
systems, locally based moderation teams, and coordinated national action on digital literacy and
Child online safety.
She noted that the bill would provide Nigeria with stronger statutory and regulatory tools to improve platform accountability and response to child online harm.
“With millions more children entering digital spaces every year, every second counts. Delays in addressing online harm can have lasting consequences for children, and Nigeria cannot afford to
ignore that”, she said.
On her part, the Chief Operating Officer of the Cece Yara Child Advocacy Centre, Esther Udoh, lamented that children are being actively exposed and insufficiently protected
online.
She urged the Senate to prioritise the legislation and accelerate its passage before more children are exposed
to irreversible harm.
“We cannot celebrate Children’s Day while ignoring the reality that children are being actively exposed and insufficiently protected
online, as global platforms continue to operate with little to no consequence in our market.
“As the digital landscape continues to evolve rapidly, it’s crucial that Nigeria takes decisive action to
protect our children online. The Child Online Protection Bill is a vital step toward establishing clear
responsibilities for platforms and ensuring swift response to harmful content.
” Every child deserves a
safe and secure digital environment where they can learn, explore, and grow without fear. We urge
the Senate to prioritise this legislation and accelerate its passage before more children are exposed to irreversible harm”, she said.
