MTN Nigeria, Global research firm IPSOS, and Meta have joined calls for urgent and coordinated action to protect children and adolescents from online harm.
They have warned that without stronger safeguards, young people risk long-term exposure to cyberbullying, predatory behavior, and harmful content.
Marcus Hollington, associate director at IPSOS, while speaking at MTN’s Help the Children campaign event in Lagos, underscored the urgent need for stronger legal frameworks, parental engagement, and multi-stakeholder collaboration.
“To protect children and adolescents from online harm, we must strengthen our legal frameworks and enhance parental and guardian engagement. Engagement between children and their parents can have an outsized impact on keeping them safe online,” Hollington said.
“We also need to increase accessibility to reporting mechanisms and promote safer internet usage.”
IPSOS research revealed that Nigerian children who spend more than an hour online daily are more likely to encounter risks such as cyberbullying and inappropriate content, compared to peers with limited screen time.
Hollington stressed that beyond awareness, governments, schools, and communities must adapt strategies continuously, given that ‘as we close loopholes, predators seek new ways to exploit children.’
For MTN Nigeria, online safety for children is now a corporate responsibility as Ikenna Ikeme, general manager, regulatory affairs at MTN, said the company’s role extends beyond connectivity.
“The internet opens doors to learning, creativity, and global friendships, but it also comes with risks. That’s why our mission isn’t just about connecting people but making those connections safe, smart, and empowering,” Ikeme said.
“Each of us can be an advocate. At home, in schools, in our communities, we must all help build a digital world where children are free to be children: curious, creative, and connected, but also safe.”
MTN’s initiatives include blocking access to child sexual abuse material, supporting law enforcement, and providing confidential reporting tools through the Internet Watch Foundation portal.
The company also launched Room of Safety in partnership with MTV Base, a youth-led video series addressing cyberbullying, manipulative online behavior, and harmful content.
Meta, operators of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads, also showcased its initiatives targeted at teens as it pushes teen-focused controls.
Victoria Oloni, Meta’s Public Policy Manager for West Africa, said Meta is prioritising digital safety features for users aged 13–17. These include Teen Accounts that default to private mode, content filters to shield minors from nudity, and sensitive material.
Time management tools to reduce excessive screen time, parental supervision features via Family Center, giving guardians oversight without invading teens’ private messages.
Oloni also highlighted Meta’s community standards, AI-driven removal of harmful content, and digital literacy curriculum My Digital World, which has reached more than 600,000 people in Nigeria.
“We believe it takes a village to keep young people safe online. That means working with governments, schools, civil society, and most importantly, with the youth themselves,” Oloni stated.
