Advocates urge N’Assembly to fast-track Child Protection Bill

The Country Director of Lawyers Without Borders in Nigeria, Angela Uzoma. Photo: The Guardian

Child rights advocates have called on the National Assembly to expedite action on a bill seeking to criminalise online abuse and strengthen protections for Nigerian children in the digital space, warning that millions of minors remain vulnerable to cyberbullying, sexual exploitation, grooming and other internet-related harms. The call was made on Friday in Abuja during a stakeholders’ roundtable on the proposed Child Online Access Protection and Online Violence Against Nigerian Child Bill, which is currently before the National Assembly. The proposed legislation seeks to establish a legal framework for protecting children from cyberbullying, cyber abuse, cyber extortion and other harmful online activities. It also places obligations on digital platforms and service providers to strengthen safeguards for children using their services. Advocates argued that the bill has become increasingly necessary as internet access among children continues to expand across the country. A 2018 UNICEF report warned that every half-second, a child goes online somewhere in the world, exposing millions to digital risks. In Nigeria, studies have shown that about 90 per cent of children encounter one form of online risk or another, including cyberbullying, exposure to inappropriate content, exploitation and online harassment. Speaking at the event, the Country Director of Lawyers Without Borders in Nigeria, Angela Uzoma, said the legislation would directly affect the safety and well-being of Nigerian children. According to her, increasing access to digital devices has exposed children to a wide range of online dangers that require urgent legislative intervention. “So every Nigerian, whether you are a biological parent or not, whether you are an aunt or an uncle, whether you are a child or an adult, you should be interested and should support this bill. When we talk about online harms that children are exposed to, it ranges from issues around cyberbullying, grooming, child exposure to sexual violence, and sexual abuse. “We have children being groomed, we have children being threatened online. We have predators pretending to be children and targeting children. We have sextortion going on; children are being tricked into exposing intimate parts of their bodies to adults who are hiding and pretending to be children. “So everyone in Nigeria should be interested in joining their voices to call on the Nigerian Senate to pass this bill,” she said. Uzoma noted that with children increasingly