FG’s survey shows 83.4% of Nigerians want social media restriction for children

A survey by the Ministry of Communications, innovation, and Digital Economy, has revealed that 83.4% of Nigerians support social media restriction to protect children.

Findings of the survey were presented on Thursday in Lagos during a roundtable discussion on the Safety and Protection of Children Online, organized by the Ministry in collaboration with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).

The survey follows recent announcement by the Ministry of plans to introduce age restrictions for social media use in Nigeria as part of efforts to strengthen online safety for children.

The government, however, said whatever form of regulation or law that would be put in place would be decided by Nigerians after a nationwide consultation.

The survey captures the views of 585 Nigerians on the regulation of children’s access to social media platforms 4 covering risks, legal frameworks, enforcement, and the path forward.

What the data is saying 

According to the survey findings, of the 83.4% that supported social media regulation, 64.8% want outright regulation of children’s social media use, while 18.6% prefer a different minimum age threshold from under 16.

• Among the remaining 16.6 that were against regulation, when asked the reason for their opposition, 51% said education and digital literacy are more effective tools than regulation, while 40% said they would prefer the use of parental control tools to protect children on social media.
• On the minimum age Nigeria should adopt for social media restriction, 36.8% of the respondents said they preferred 16 years, aligning with Australia’s recent ban threshold 27.7% said they preferred 17 years as the minimum.
• Meanwhile, 13% of the respondents said they would align with the current global platform standards of age 13.

On safety of children (under 18) on social media platforms in Nigeria the survey shows that an overwhelming majority (93.5%) expressed high or extreme concern.

More insights 

Speaking at the event, the Minister, Bosun Tijani, said the fast-changing digital ecosystem demanded constant adaptation of laws, policies and safeguards to address emerging threats facing children online.

According to him, while social media offers learning and innovation opportunities, children must be protected from harmful content, exploitation and other digital risks.

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

He added that protecting children online required coordinated efforts by government, parents, digital platforms and other stakeholders.

Also speaking, the NDPC National Commissioner, Dr Vincent Olatunji, warned that children faced increasing threats across digital platforms and online environments.

He identified cyberbullying, cyberstalking, harmful content exposure and mental health concerns as some of the major risks confronting children online.

Olatunji said internet access remained essential for education and development but must be balanced with effective safeguards protecting children from harm.

He described child online safety as a shared responsibility involving government agencies, parents, schools, communities and digital platform operators.

What you should know 

With the latest moves, Nigeria may soon join the list of countries, mostly European, that have either implemented or are about to implement age restrictions for social media.

• Prominent on the list is Australia, which implemented a ban on social media for under-16s in December 2025, forcing platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to restrict access.
• Indonesia has also announced a social media ban for children under 16, following similar global trends.
• Denmark is also set to ban social media platforms for children under 15. The Danish government announced in November 2025 that it had secured support for the ban from three governing coalition parties and two opposition parties in parliament.

Similarly, in late January this year, French lawmakers passed a bill that would ban social media for kids under 15. President Emmanuel Macron has supported the measure as a way to protect children from excessive screen time.

A survey by the Ministry of Communications, innovation, and Digital Economy, has revealed that 83.4% of Nigerians support social media restriction to protect children.

Findings of the survey were presented on Thursday in Lagos during a roundtable discussion on the Safety and Protection of Children Online, organized by the Ministry in collaboration with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).

The survey follows recent announcement by the Ministry of plans to introduce age restrictions for social media use in Nigeria as part of efforts to strengthen online safety for children.

The government, however, said whatever form of regulation or law that would be put in place would be decided by Nigerians after a nationwide consultation.

The survey captures the views of 585 Nigerians on the regulation of children’s access to social media platforms 4 covering risks, legal frameworks, enforcement, and the path forward.

What the data is saying 

According to the survey findings, of the 83.4% that supported social media regulation, 64.8% want outright regulation of children’s social media use, while 18.6% prefer a different minimum age threshold from under 16.

• Among the remaining 16.6 that were against regulation, when asked the reason for their opposition, 51% said education and digital literacy are more effective tools than regulation, while 40% said they would prefer the use of parental control tools to protect children on social media.
• On the minimum age Nigeria should adopt for social media restriction, 36.8% of the respondents said they preferred 16 years, aligning with Australia’s recent ban threshold 27.7% said they preferred 17 years as the minimum.
• Meanwhile, 13% of the respondents said they would align with the current global platform standards of age 13.

On safety of children (under 18) on social media platforms in Nigeria the survey shows that an overwhelming majority (93.5%) expressed high or extreme concern.

More insights 

Speaking at the event, the Minister, Bosun Tijani, said the fast-changing digital ecosystem demanded constant adaptation of laws, policies and safeguards to address emerging threats facing children online.

According to him, while social media offers learning and innovation opportunities, children must be protected from harmful content, exploitation and other digital risks.

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

He added that protecting children online required coordinated efforts by government, parents, digital platforms and other stakeholders.

Also speaking, the NDPC National Commissioner, Dr Vincent Olatunji, warned that children faced increasing threats across digital platforms and online environments.

He identified cyberbullying, cyberstalking, harmful content exposure and mental health concerns as some of the major risks confronting children online.

Olatunji said internet access remained essential for education and development but must be balanced with effective safeguards protecting children from harm.

He described child online safety as a shared responsibility involving government agencies, parents, schools, communities and digital platform operators.

What you should know 

With the latest moves, Nigeria may soon join the list of countries, mostly European, that have either implemented or are about to implement age restrictions for social media.

• Prominent on the list is Australia, which implemented a ban on social media for under-16s in December 2025, forcing platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to restrict access.
• Indonesia has also announced a social media ban for children under 16, following similar global trends.
• Denmark is also set to ban social media platforms for children under 15. The Danish government announced in November 2025 that it had secured support for the ban from three governing coalition parties and two opposition parties in parliament.

Similarly, in late January this year, French lawmakers passed a bill that would ban social media for kids under 15. President Emmanuel Macron has supported the measure as a way to protect children from excessive screen time.