The Federal Government of Nigeria is moving toward the introduction of age limits for social media use, in a bid to strengthen online safety for children and teenagers across the country.

The initiative is being driven by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, which has opened a nationwide consultation to gather views from parents, teachers, young people, civil society groups and digital policy experts. The ministry is using the survey to test public opinion on how far the state should go in regulating children’s access to platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X and YouTube.

Officials say the goal is to design a policy framework that shields minors from online harms without cutting them off from the educational, creative and social benefits of the internet. The ministry is examining how best to balance child protection with rights to information, expression and participation in the digital economy.

Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has repeatedly warned that as internet penetration deepens in Nigeria, children are increasingly exposed to cyberbullying, sexual exploitation, violent and self-harm content, scams, misuse of personal data and emerging threats linked to artificial intelligence tools. He argues that voluntary safeguards by platforms have proved insufficient, making government-led standards necessary.

Among the measures under consideration are minimum age thresholds for opening social media accounts, mandatory and more robust age-verification systems, clearer parental consent requirements, and stronger obligations on platforms to detect and remove harmful content targeting minors. The government is also weighing tougher regulatory oversight and penalties for companies that fail to comply with child-safety rules.

The move would place Nigeria among a growing number of countries tightening controls on children’s social media use. Australia has adopted a ban on social media for users under 16, requiring major platforms to block younger users. Indonesia has announced plans to bar children under 16 from social media, while Denmark is preparing legislation to keep under-15s off such platforms. In France, lawmakers have backed restrictions preventing children under 15 from opening social media accounts, a policy framed as part of a broader push to curb excessive screen time and protect mental health.

The Nigerian government says feedback from the ongoing consultation will shape the final policy proposals, which are expected to be presented after extensive review of public submissions and international best practices.