Health
Coalition urges Senate to fast-track child protection bill after House passage
The National Online Safety Coalition has urged the Senate to promptly take up, consider, and pass the Child Online Access Protection Bill to safeguard Nigerian children as the legislation heads for concurrence.
The Coalition said the urgency of Senate action cannot be overstated, stressing that swift passage will enable timely transmission to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
Welcoming the Bill’s passage at Third Reading in the House of Representatives, the Coalition, a multi-stakeholder network advancing digital safety, described the development as a milestone in Nigeria’s quest for a comprehensive child online protection framework.
It noted that Nigeria currently faces severe threats online, with over 50 percent of children having encountered digital harm, while 80 percent of harmful content involving minors stays online for more than 48 hours before removal.
The Coalition praised House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, the Bill’s sponsor, Hon. Olumide Osoba, the Chairman of the House Committee on Justice, and members of the House for demonstrating urgency at a time when online threats to children are rising at unprecedented speed.
It said the Bill introduces the most far-reaching legal regime yet to reinforce platform responsibility, curb exploitation, and enforce accountability for Big Tech.
The coalition noted that during Committee consideration, the report successfully integrated key recommendations from Gatefield, the Coalition’s technical lead, aligning with evidence from the recent State of Online Harms in Nigeria report.
“This landmark legislation brings Nigeria closer to a digital ecosystem where platforms are held accountable, and the rights of children to safely explore the digital world are upheld.
“The House has taken decisive action, and this momentum must now carry into the Senate,” Shirley Ewang, Advocacy Lead at Gatefield, said.
Building on national momentum behind the cause, the Coalition recalled that Hon. Osoba had publicly affirmed his target to secure full House passage within three months at the Child Online Safety Forum convened in October, a pledge now fulfilled.
“The House of Representatives has taken a bold step to safeguard our children online. It is now the Senate’s turn to complete this essential work.
“Protecting children in the digital age cannot be optional,” said Khadijah El-Usman, Senior Program Officer at Paradigm Initiative.
According to the coalition, following the House passage, the harmonised legislation will be transmitted to the Senate for debate, and once both chambers approve a clean copy, it will move to the President for assent, bringing Nigeria closer than at any point in its history to a robust and enforceable standard for online child protection.
The Coalition reaffirmed its commitment to sustained engagement with policymakers, civil society partners, and digital platforms to ensure that the final Act is effective, rights-based, and consistent with global best practices.
It said its members remain united in advancing a safer and more accountable digital ecosystem for every Nigerian child.
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