A fresh nationwide consultation by the Federal Government has found that an overwhelming majority of Nigerians support regulating children’s access to social media, with most respondents favouring stricter age limits to protect minors from online risks in 2026.
The findings, released by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, show that more than 80 per cent of participants want some form of age-based restriction for children using social media platforms. The survey was unveiled in Lagos during a policy roundtable on child online protection, jointly convened with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission.
According to the poll, conducted among 585 participants, a clear majority favoured decisive government action. About two-thirds supported firm regulation of children’s social media use, while others backed regulation but proposed alternative minimum age thresholds. Most respondents preferred a minimum age of 16 or 17, higher than the commonly used global benchmark of 13. Brandspur Politics reports that the consultation was designed to guide Nigeria’s evolving digital safety framework.
The survey also highlighted deep public anxiety over children’s exposure to online harm. More than nine in ten respondents expressed strong concern about the safety of minors on social platforms, citing exposure to harmful content, digital addiction and online grooming as the most pressing threats. A significant proportion further noted that parents and children lack adequate awareness of the legal consequences of cyber-related offences.
In providing international context, officials referenced recent global actions, including a full ban on social media access for under-16s introduced in Australia, as evidence that governments worldwide are reassessing child online safety standards.
Speaking at the event, Minister Bosun Tijani said Nigeria must continuously update its digital policies to keep pace with emerging online risks. He stressed that while digital platforms offer educational and economic opportunities, safeguards are essential to prevent exploitation and psychological harm. He added that Nigeria could leverage digital identity systems and platform-level verification tools to enforce age-based rules, noting that potential circumvention should not invalidate the need for regulation.
The Data Protection Commission’s leadership also warned that cyberbullying, stalking and mental health challenges are rising among young users, calling for shared responsibility among government, families, schools and technology companies. Stakeholders at the roundtable agreed that stronger digital literacy programmes, improved age verification and clearer accountability for platforms should underpin any new regulatory framework as Nigeria moves toward child-focused social media safeguards in 2026.
