On Tuesday, March 10, 2026, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, announced that the government has launched a public consultation on policies to improve child online safety, including possible age limits for social media use.

The consultation invites Nigerians, including parents, educators, young people, and digital professionals, to share their views on how the country should regulate children’s access to social media platforms.

While this announcement marks the start of the consultation phase, which began on March 10, 2026, the government says it wants to build an evidence-based policy, meaning the survey results will be analysed before formal laws or technical requirements are drafted.

The consultation explores several possible approaches, including introducing minimum age requirements for social media accounts, implementing stronger age-verification systems, increasing platform accountability, and expanding government oversight of digital platforms.

Minister Tijani said we need to balance the internet’s benefits with the risks it poses to children.

The internet can help kids learn, be creative, and stay connected.

But it can also expose them to cyberbullying, harmful content, online exploitation, and misuse of their personal data.

He also warned that social media is designed to keep kids online for too long, affecting their mental health.

Current laws, like the Nigerian Data Protection Act, don’t fully protect against modern threats like online grooming or AI-driven misinformation, so new rules are needed.

As of now, the Nigerian government is in the crucial stage of gathering public opinion, which will inform its next steps.

If implemented, these policies are expected to integrate into a broader digital regulation strategy spearheaded by the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy.

Nigeria is joining a global trend of tightening rules for kids on social media. Around the world, countries are setting age limits or requiring parental permission.

Australia bans social media for anyone under 16,France requires parental consent for under-15s, and Denmark is planning a similar rule.

Indonesia will deactivate accounts for children under 16 starting March 28, 2026, and Malaysia plans to do the same by the end of the year.

In places like China, rules are even stricter: kids must use real names linked to their ID and have limited online time.

In Africa, no country has such strict rules yet, but South Africa and Egypt are considering age limits.

The message is clear: governments worldwide want to protect kids online while still letting them enjoy the digital world.