The House of Representatives has reiterated its dedication to passing the Child Online Access Protection Bill (HB 224), a proposed law designed to safeguard Nigerian children from harmful digital content and online threats. In a statement released by Gatefield, a public strategy and media group, its advocacy lead, Ms. Shirley Ewang, added that the move reflects the legislature’s ongoing efforts to promote child safety in the digital space.
Ewang quoted the Chairman of the House Committee on Justice, Rep. Olumide Osoba, as affirming the committee’s readiness to collaborate with the National Online Safety Coalition and other key stakeholders to fast-track the bill’s passage.
She emphasized the dangers of Nigeria’s largely unregulated online environment, noting that incidents of online abuse occur at least five times each week. The proposed legislation, she added, includes measures for platform accountability, swift removal of harmful content, and strong enforcement mechanisms to protect children and ensure legal responsibility for offenders.
According to research by the coalition, over half of Nigerian children have faced some form of online harm, with 70% of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) hosted on social media and encrypted platforms. Alarmingly, 80% of reported harmful content remains online for more than 48 hours, while prosecution rates remain very low, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive legislation.
Ewang also revealed that the coalition’s #SaferInternetforNaijaKids campaign has collected more than 2,000 petition signatures, advocating for mandatory content moderation by tech platforms, the integration of online safety education into school curricula, and the prompt passage of the bill.
“With over 30 million Nigerian children active online, the risks of digital exploitation continue to rise. The passage and effective implementation of this bill would mark a major step toward protecting children and building a safer digital future for Nigeria,” she added.