By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
The Network of Peace Journalists (NPJ) has called on African governments to introduce legislation restricting children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms, saying the measure is necessary to protect young people from the growing dangers associated with excessive online exposure.
In a statement, NPJ Team Leader, Ibrahima Yakubu, said the rapid rise in social media use among children and teenagers has contributed to cyberbullying, online exploitation, exposure to harmful and violent content, declining academic performance, digital addiction and increasing mental health concerns.
Yakubu noted that several countries have already taken decisive steps to strengthen online child protection. He cited Australia’s legislation banning social media access for children under 16, France’s requirement for parental consent before children under 15 can open social media accounts, Spain’s proposal to raise the minimum age for social media use to 16 alongside stricter age-verification measures, and Norway’s plan to increase the minimum access age while introducing stronger safeguards for minors.
He urged African nations to adopt similar child protection policies, arguing that such measures would create a safer digital environment and support the healthy development of children across the continent.
The NPJ leader also advocated comprehensive legislation requiring social media companies to implement effective age-verification systems and imposing stiff sanctions on platforms that fail to prevent underage access.
He further called on governments to expand investments in digital literacy programmes aimed at equipping children, parents and teachers with the knowledge and skills needed for responsible internet use and online safety.
Yakubu recommended that schools incorporate digital citizenship and internet safety education into their curricula, while encouraging parents and guardians to monitor their children’s online activities, enforce reasonable screen-time limits and promote educational and recreational alternatives.
He also appealed to religious organisations, traditional institutions, civil society groups and the media to intensify public enlightenment campaigns on the risks associated with excessive social media use among minors.
According to Yakubu, protecting children in the digital space requires a coordinated effort involving governments, families, educators, technology companies and communities.
He maintained that regulating children’s access to social media should not be viewed as denying them the benefits of technology, but rather as a responsible step towards ensuring they engage with digital platforms in a safe, healthy and age-appropriate manner while safeguarding their education, mental well-being and overall development.
