Nigeria’s Under-16 Internet Plan: Experts Urge Regulation, Not Ban

Education and mental health experts are calling on the Federal Government to regulate children’s internet use rather than completely cut off those under 16 from the digital world.

They say children need protection from harmful online content, but also depend on the internet for learning, research, creativity and communication.

The call follows the government’s announcement of plans to introduce regulated internet access for children under 16.

Education Minister Tunji Alausa said the move was aimed at protecting children from cyberattacks and harmful online exposure, with security authorities expected to provide more details.

Educator and education advocate Similoluwa Adekoye said she was “a bit conflicted” about restricting children’s access.

She said the internet should not be treated only as a source of entertainment because many children use it for academic research and other productive activities.

“How then do we want the children to research?” she asked.

“Are we saying that we want the children to go back into the library?

“Then how many functional libraries do we have?”

Adekoye said Nigeria should instead focus on proper regulation and supervision, including age appropriate content, privacy protection and stronger cooperation between government, parents and schools.

Clinical psychologist Sabina Ebadan also supported regulation rather than a blanket ban.

She said adolescents need space to explore and learn, but warned that unrestricted internet use could expose them to cyberbullying, exploitation, grooming and inappropriate content.

According to Ebadan, such exposure can affect children’s self esteem, emotional wellbeing, thinking and sleep, and may contribute to anxiety and depression.

She said parents alone cannot address the problem, stressing that schools and technology companies also have roles to play in creating safer digital platforms.

The debate in Nigeria comes as other countries introduce restrictions on children’s social media use.

Australia began requiring major social media platforms to prevent under 16s from having accounts in December 2025, while the UAE introduced a minimum age of 15 for personal social media accounts in 2026.

Adekoye said Nigeria could learn from such measures without denying children access to useful digital opportunities.

“I do not believe that yanking off the internet entirely would be what would put all of these checks in place,” she said.