InFocus: Digital economy, cyberthreats and NCC’s commitment to Child Online Protection

*Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice-Chairman and CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission, at a recent media engagement, outlines practical measures to strengthen consumers’ online safety, and minimise children’s exposure to damaging content in the country’s digital ecosystem

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

As digital platforms continue to evolve globally, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has refocused its attention on Child Online Protection (COP) initiatives in the West African country.

ConsumerConnect reports Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of NCC, who emphasised this much at the recent media breakfast meeting, in Abuja, FCT, highlighted some practical steps for families to protect digital consumers who are minors from unsafe material online.

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Maida particularly encouraged stronger involvement from parents, guardians, and other key stakeholders in the digital ecosystem in ensuring effective child protection in the fast-paced digital environment.

The EVC/CEO of the Commission also observed that as several digital platforms continue to evolve worldwide, their cross-border reach has made regulatory oversight increasingly challenging in recent times.

Layers of protection for children online

Enumerating certain controls for children’s safety in cyberspace, Dr. Maida explained that the first layer of protection lies in mindful digital habits at home.

Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice-Chairman and CEO of NCC

According to him, parents and guardians could apply firm controls on their children’s device usage in order to restrict access to unsuitable content.

The NCC Executive Vice-Chairman also noted that several digital platforms now offer in-app tools for flagging abuse, harassment, and inappropriate posts online.

He, therefore, urged stakeholders for greater awareness, and use of these features by the public for improved cybersafety.

Maida: Telecoms regulator updates Internet Code of Practice

Underlining some measures aimed at strengthening online safety, while reducing children’s exposure to damaging content, Maida disclosed the telecoms sector regulatory Commission has updated its Internet Code of Practice.

He stated the effort was aimed at enhancing supervision, and enabling the Commission to mandate the removal of Web content considered unsafe or offensive through service providers.

The Chief Executive of NCC further said besides enforcement, there is a need for collective responsibility, encouraging digital consumers to actively report harmful material to support regulatory efforts in Nigeria.

On regulatory collaborations with NBC, NITDA and NFVCB

In line with the Commission’s emphasis on collaborations with other regulatory agencies, Maida highlighted joint initiatives with other government agencies, including the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB).

He explained that such collaborative efforts with other regulators are aimed at strengthening online safety while reducing exposure to damaging content in cyberspace.

The Commission also reassured digital consumers that the NCC, and other regulators are intensifying efforts at protecting at-risk groups, especially young consumers, and those with limited digital awareness in the country’s ecosystem.

Regulatory authorities, Maida averred, would remain vigilant in addressing identified cyberthreats in the entire digital ecosystem.

Child Online Protection takes centre stage in global digital discourse

It is an established fact that Child Online Protection again, is fast taking the centre stage of public discourse in the global digital ecosystem, as health researchers recently linked excessive recreational screen time in youths to “increased cardiometabolic risks”, including high Blood Pressure (BP) and insulin resistance in recent times.

The COP is an initiative which the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) established November 2008, to promote online safety of children around the world.

The ITU, in 2009, released the first set of COP guidelines for domestication, and implementation by economies around the globe.

A new Danish research finding had associated “extra device hours” with early heart-health markers in kids and teens.

More recreational screen time in children and teens, in the research was tied to higher cardiometabolic risk — think higher Blood Pressure, less-favourable cholesterol, and insulin resistance respectively.

The health researchers said the connection was stronger among youth who got less sleep — suggesting that screen use might affect heart health in part by stealing sleep.

They also found that each extra hour of screen time per day was not dramatic on its own, but when you add multiple hours, it adds up to a measurable shift in risk.

Nigeria’s implementation of Child Online Protection guidelines

ConsumerConnect reports the Nigerian Communications Commission leads the pack in designing several Child Online Protection initiatives by adopting the ITU guidelines to create a safer digital space in Nigeria over the years.

Since the International Telecommunication Union released the first set of Child Online Protection guidelines 2009, the disruptive COVID-19 pandemic also increased the number of children online due to remote schooling.

The development at the time led to the release of the revised ITU guidelines on COP July 2020.

Subsequently, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) held a virtual hangout with children in order to adopt the revised and localised guidelines for Nigerian children.

The NCC-localised versions of the COP guidelines are: Online With AGENT COP; Online Safety Activity Book – Work with Agent COP; Online Safety Activity Book – Teacher’s Guide; and What You Need To Know About Cyberbullying.

Taking the consumer education and sensitization further, the country’s telecoms sector regulatory Commission also translated the localised version into Pidgin (Pi)– Yoruba (Wa), Hausa (Zo), Igbo (Bia), known as the PiWaZoBia collection.

The tra lated versions were also made available for downloads as Online with Agent COP, Combined (PiWaZoBia), Pidgin (Pi), Yoruba (Wa), Hausa (Zo), Igbo (Bia), Online Safety Activity Book, Work with Agent COP Combined (PiWaZoBia), Pidgin (Pi), Yoruba (Wa), Hausa (Zo) and Igbo (Bia).

The country’s telecoms sector regulator also chaired the Committee constituted by then Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, to develop the draft National Child Online Protection Policy and Strategy (NCOPPS).

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) co-chaired the Committee, and it had members across key stakeholders as identified by the Ministry.

These included the Federal Ministry of Justice (FMoJ), Federal Ministry of Women Affairs (FMoW), Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Cybersecurity Experts Association of Nigeria (CSEAN), and Network Against Scam and Cybercrime.

The Nigerian Government’s Committee had the mandate to build on existing initiatives on Child Online Protection, provide a coherent strategy to meet global best practices, and further develop the existing child protection ecosystem in the country.

As a member of the ICANN Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC), the Commission further adopted and localised the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (EUROPOL) International Edition of the ‘COVID-19 Online Safety Advice for Parents and Careers released 2020 to develop its own document entitled: “Keeping Children Safe Online – Advice for Parents and Caregivers”.

NCC reiterates commitment to Child Online Protection

Underlining the importance of Child Online Protection, the NCC was part of Nigeria’s strong delegation that participated in the successful 2025 World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-25) held in Baku, Azerbaijan, with over 160 member-states and a 484-page provisional report documenting its outcomes.

The Government of Azerbaijan, in Baku, had hosted last year’s WTDC-25 November 17-28 under the theme: “Universal, Meaningful, and Affordable Connectivity for an Inclusive and Sustainable Digital Future”.

The Commission disclosed that Nigeria, in conjunction with other ITU member-states, made far-reaching contributions to shape global resolutions and policies, especially on Broadband deployment in unserved and underserved areas, advancing gender mainstreaming in ICT, strengthening consumer protection, especially in the age of “emerging technologies”.

These, the telecoms sector regulatory Commission noted, include Artificial Intelligence (AI), and deliberate expansion of the scope of Child Online Protection within the ITU Development sector from just telecoms services to incorporation of online services and applications for digital consumers.

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