Nigerians overwhelmingly support social media regulation for children, survey finds

A recent survey commissioned by Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy reveals overwhelming public support for regulating children's access to social media. The findings, presented at a roundtable on child protection online in Lagos, indicate that more than four out of five Nigerians believe some form of regulation is necessary.

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Australia recently implemented a total ban on social media for children under 16, and that a clear majority (83.4 per cent) of respondents in Nigeria also supported regulating children’s social media use.

The poll, titled "Proposed Social Media Age Regulation in Nigeria," surveyed 585 Nigerians on various aspects of regulating children's online activities. Senior Special Adviser to the Minister, Kasim Sodangi, presented the results, noting that 83.4% of respondents supported regulating children's social media use. Of this group, 64.8% favored outright regulation, while an additional 18.6% supported regulation but suggested a different minimum age threshold.

Regarding a minimum age, 64.5% of respondents favored setting it at 16 or 17 years, exceeding the commonly adopted global standard of 13. The survey's near-total representation of Nigerian respondents, with 98.6% identifying as Nigerian, ensures the results authentically reflect domestic perspectives on the issue.

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Of this majority, 64.8 per cent supported outright regulation of children’s social media use, while 18.6 per cent supported regulation but preferred a different minimum age threshold.

The survey also underscored significant public concern regarding children's online safety. An overwhelming 93.5% of respondents expressed either great or extreme concern about the safety of individuals under 18 on social media platforms within Nigeria. Of these, 69.2% reported extreme concern, and 24.3% expressed high concern.

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The survey showed that 64.5 per cent of respondents favoured a minimum social media age of 16 years or 17 years, above the widely adopted global threshold of 13.

These findings provide a strong mandate for the Nigerian government as it considers policy formulations related to social media age restrictions and child online protection. The data is considered highly relevant for domestic policy development, grounding potential regulations in the lived experiences and concerns of Nigerian citizens.

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This near-total Nigerian representation ensures that the survey results authentically reflect the perspectives of those most directly affected by any proposed social media age regulation in Nigeria.