As the United Kingdom considers tougher restrictions on children’s access to social media, as a survey released by Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy earlier this month found overwhelming support among Nigerians for regulating young people’s use of digital platforms.

The survey, titled Proposed Social Media Age Regulation in Nigeria, found that 83.4 per cent of respondents support some form of regulation on children’s access to social media, reflecting growing concerns about online safety, harmful content and digital addiction.

The findings were unveiled during a Roundtable on the Protection of Children Online held in Lagos and organised by the ministry in collaboration with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission.

Presenting the results, Senior Special Adviser to the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Kasim Sodangi, said the public consultation survey captured the views of 585 respondents on issues ranging from online risks and legal frameworks to enforcement mechanisms and future policy options.

According to the survey, 64.8 per cent of respondents supported outright regulation of children’s social media use, while a further 18.6 per cent favoured regulation but preferred a different minimum age threshold.

The findings also showed significant backing for raising the minimum age for social media access beyond the globally recognised threshold of 13 years. About 64.5 per cent of respondents favoured a minimum age of either 16 or 17 years.

Quoting from the survey document, Sodangi noted that Australia’s recent decision to impose a ban on social media access for children under 16 had influenced discussions around child online safety globally.

The survey further revealed that concerns about children’s safety online are widespread. An overwhelming 93.5 per cent of respondents said they were either greatly or extremely concerned about the safety of children under 18 on social media platforms.

Of that figure, 69.2 per cent, representing 405 respondents, expressed extreme concern, while 24.3 per cent, representing 142 respondents, said they were highly concerned.

The report identified exposure to harmful or inappropriate content as the most common online risk facing Nigerian children, with 90.9 per cent of respondents citing it as a major concern. Digital addiction followed closely at 83.6 per cent, while 82.4 per cent identified online grooming as a significant threat.

The ministry also disclosed that 74.5 per cent of respondents believed children and parents lacked adequate awareness of the legal consequences of cyber offences, underscoring what officials described as an urgent need for stronger public education and protective regulations.

In addition, 97.6 per cent of respondents supported a duty-of-care framework that would require social media companies and digital platforms to take proactive steps to prevent harm to young users.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, argued that the discussion should no longer be about whether safeguards are necessary but about how they should be implemented.

“The debate should focus on implementing age restrictions effectively rather than questioning the need for such safeguards,” Tijani said.

“Nigeria can deploy digital identity infrastructure and existing platform verification systems to strengthen enforcement of age-based social media regulations.

“The fact that some people may bypass regulations is not a reason for safeguards not to exist.”

Tijani added that while social media platforms provide opportunities for learning, creativity and innovation, governments and technology companies must ensure that children are protected from exploitation, harmful content and other digital risks.

Also speaking at the roundtable, National Commissioner of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Dr Vincent Olatunji, warned that children face increasing threats in digital spaces, including cyberbullying, cyberstalking, harmful content exposure and mental health challenges.

Olatunji stressed that internet access remains important for education and development but said effective safeguards must accompany expanded digital access.

Participants at the event called for stronger digital literacy programmes, improved age-verification systems, enhanced parental involvement and greater accountability from technology companies as Nigeria weighs possible reforms to child online protection laws.