A new survey by civic-tech group Techsocietal shows that 79 per cent of Nigerian children aged 11–16 feel unsafe online, with 97 per cent reporting unwanted sexual advances via chatrooms, social media and email.
The findings emerged at Techsocietal’s 2026 Safer Internet Day workshop for educators in Lagos, themed “AI Aware: Safe, Smart and in Control.”
Programmes Manager Gabreal Odunsi told participants that 93 per cent of children in the age group access the internet daily via phones or other devices. He added: “Eighty-nine per cent have received sexual images or content online. Children are constantly connected through smartphones and social media, making the digital space central to learning, communication and identity formation.”
Key risks identified include cyberbullying, online sexual abuse, exposure to pornography and violence, privacy breaches, scams, exploitation and excessive screen time, which can cause sleep problems, shorter attention spans and falling grades.
Odunsi urged teachers to model responsible behavior, weave digital literacy into lessons, spot early signs of harm and partner with parents. “Many educators still lack practical tools for handling technology-facilitated risks or data privacy issues in an age-appropriate way,” he noted.
Techsocietal’s Programme Officer for Cybersecurity, Emmanuella Aston, called for tighter data-privacy rules. “Student data—names, addresses, health records, photos—can reveal identities or locations if mishandled,” she said. She distinguished between active digital footprints (intentional posts) and passive ones (metadata, browsing history), warning that poor management opens doors to identity theft, fraud and targeted scams.
Legal and Policy Officer Jessica Eni focused on trauma-informed responses. “One wrong word can silence a survivor,” she said. She advised validating victims, listening without judgement, securing evidence like screenshots (without using unsecured apps like WhatsApp) and avoiding victim-blaming.
Attendees praised the workshop’s timeliness. Teacher Ayodele Omogbehin of Christ the Redeemer Secondary School, Gbagada, said: “I now have clear tools to teach safer internet practices.” Fellow teacher Abiola Mudashiru of Aje Comprehensive Senior High School added: “We need this training scaled up across schools and backed by the Ministry of Education.”
Participants urged Techsocietal to sustain and expand the programme to build child online protection and responsible digital citizenship nationwide.
