From Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
The Network of Peace Journalists (NPJ) has called on African governments to bar children under the age of 16 from using social media platforms, aligning with a wave of new regulations in other countries designed to protect young people from the damaging effects of excessive online exposure.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, NPJ Team Leader, Ibrahima Yakubu, said unfettered access to social media has fueled cyberbullying, online exploitation, exposure to harmful and violent content, falling academic performance, addiction, and growing mental health problems among children and teenagers.
Yakubu noted that several nations have already moved to tighten controls on children’s use of social media. He cited Australia, which has passed legislation blocking children under 16 from accessing social media platforms.
“France, which now requires parental consent for children under 15 to open social media accounts Spain, which has proposed raising the minimum age for social media use to 16 while also strengthening age-verification requirements, and Norway, which has announced plans to raise the minimum age for access and introduce stronger safeguards for minors.
He argued that African countries should adopt comparable policies to shield children from online risks and promote healthier childhood development.
The NPJ Team Leader further recommended that governments enact clear laws compelling social media companies to deploy robust age-verification systems, and to impose strict penalties on platforms that fail to protect underage users.
He also called for increased government investment in digital literacy programmes to train children, parents, and teachers on responsible internet use and online safety.
Yakubu urged schools to integrate digital citizenship and online safety into their curricula. He also appealed to parents and guardians to closely monitor their children’s online activities, enforce screen-time limits, and involve them in constructive educational and recreational activities.
He further called on religious institutions, civil society organisations, traditional leaders, and the media to step up public awareness campaigns on the dangers of excessive social media use among children.
According to him, safeguarding children from harmful online content is a collective duty that requires collaboration among governments, families, educators, technology companies, and communities.
Yakubu stressed that introducing such regulations would not cut children off from technology. Instead, he said, it would ensure they engage with digital platforms in a safe, responsible, and age-appropriate way, while protecting their mental well-being, education, and moral development.