The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called on technology companies and digital platform operators to implement stricter online safety measures to protect Nigerian children from growing threats such as cyberbullying, grooming, sextortion, and exposure to harmful content.
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The Executive Secretary of the commission, Tony Ojukwu, made the call in Abuja during the Child Online Safety Forum held on Monday. He was represented by the Commission’s Director of Women and Child Protection, Ngozi Okere.
Ojukwu said that while the internet has created enormous opportunities for learning, creativity, and communication, it has also exposed children to serious risks that demand urgent policy, legal, and community responses.
“We must join hands to ensure that tech providers and digital platforms adopt stricter guidelines and safety features tailored to protect children. This includes implementing age-appropriate content filters, strong reporting mechanisms for abuse, and ensuring user privacy,” he said.
The NHRC boss noted that technology companies bear a moral and social responsibility to design online spaces that prioritize child safety rather than profit. He stressed that platforms must go beyond profit-driven algorithms and create digital environments that are safe, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of young users.
According to him, the commission has already taken steps to strengthen reporting and accountability mechanisms through the creation of an automated online reporting platform on its website, as well as a toll-free line, 6472, where cases of cyberbullying, grooming, and other forms of online exploitation can be reported anonymously.
Ojukwu explained that the initiative is part of the commission’s broader strategy to make justice more accessible to victims of online abuse and to support ongoing advocacy for the Child Online Protection Bill, a proposed legislation that seeks to establish clear legal safeguards for children in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
“Protecting children online is not just a legal imperative — it is a collective moral duty. Through stronger legislation, better awareness, and accountability from tech companies, we can build a digital space that empowers rather than endangers our children,” he said.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the House Committee on Justice, Olumide Osoba, said the National Assembly is committed to enacting laws that would compel digital service providers to take greater responsibility for user safety.
Osoba, who sponsored the Child Online Access Protection Bill (HB 244), warned that the lack of regulation in Nigeria’s digital space is leaving millions of children vulnerable to exploitation, identity theft, and exposure to harmful content.
“The internet must be a place that empowers, not endangers, our children. Our bill seeks to mandate internet service providers to block access to violent or exploitative content, penalize online grooming and cyberbullying, and promote digital literacy for parents and young people,” he said.
The call came amid growing concerns over rising cases of online harm in Nigeria. A recent report titled The Rising Tide of Online Harm in Nigeria, published by Gatefield, revealed that 50 per cent of Nigerian internet users experience online abuse regularly, while women, especially those in politics, are disproportionately targeted.
Experts at the event said these trends underline the need for stronger regulation and accountability from technology companies, as well as digital literacy campaigns to help parents and children navigate online spaces safely.
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