Advocates urge National Assembly to fast-track Child Protection Bill
via Punch Nigeria11 min read
Child rights advocates have called on the National Assembly to expedite action on a bill aimed at criminalizing online abuse and strengthening protections for Nigerian children in the digital space. The proposed Child Online Access Protection and Online Violence Against Nigerian Child Bill seeks to establish a legal framework to protect children from cyberbullying, cyber abuse, cyber extortion, and other harmful online activities. It also mandates digital platforms and service providers to enhance safeguards for children. Angela Uzoma, Country Director of Lawyers Without Borders in Nigeria, emphasized the bill's necessity due to increasing internet access among children and the associated risks like cyberbullying, grooming, and sexual exploitation. A 2018 UNICEF report highlighted that millions of children globally are exposed to digital risks, with studies showing approximately 90% of Nigerian children encounter some form of online harm. Christiana Eguma, Coordinator of the General Unit in the National Assembly, noted the bill addresses emerging threats and aims to hold technology companies accountable for content on their platforms. Funding for the bill's implementation would partly come from a 0.02% levy on the assessable profits of search engines, telecommunications service providers, AI companies, gaming platforms, streaming services, and social media application vendors operating in Nigeria. Educationist Oluwasesan Ifegbesan stressed that legislation alone is insufficie
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