Young Nigerians pledge to become responsible digital citizens in Lagos

Dignitaries and facilitators at the OPTS-AFF Be Safe Initiative, held in Lagos to promote digital safety and responsible online behaviour among young Nigerians.

Students from 11 public schools in Lagos State have pledged to become responsible digital citizens, as part of an initiative aimed at protecting young people from cyberbullying, sexual exploitation and other forms of digital abuse.

The commitment was made on Thursday at the OPTS-AFF Be Safe Initiative held in Lagos. It was organised by the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), in partnership with the Akin Fadeyi Foundation (AFF).

Participating schools included Community Senior High School, Alapere; Kosofe Senior College; Ojota Senior Secondary School; Immaculate Heart Comprehensive Senior High School; Comprehensive Senior High School, Alapere; and Menide Senior High School.

After the interactive sessions, the students signed a Be Safe pledge wall, committing to the declaration: “I pledge to be a responsible digital citizen.”

The initiative featured interactive sessions on digital safety, responsible online behaviour, protection of personal information, recognising online manipulation and abuse, and reporting mechanisms. Different advocacy dramas were also presented to reinforce the messages.

This comes amid growing concerns about children’s safety online in Nigeria. Findings from a Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) survey, presented in 2025, indicated that 90 per cent of Nigerian children had faced at least one form of cyber risk.

Speaking at the event, Akin Fadeyi, founder and executive director of the Akin Fadeyi Foundation, said the project is designed to encourage young Nigerians to make responsible choices when using digital devices.

Mr Fadeyi said the Be Safe Initiative aims to equip young people with practical knowledge to recognise online risks, make informed decisions, and seek help when they experience digital abuse.

Mr Fadeyi said the growing use of digital technology has created new risks, including cyberbullying, online harassment, sexual exploitation and the spread of false information.

He said the foundation believes that young people need to understand that their actions online could have consequences, including legal consequences.

He said the Be Safe Initiative is part of the foundation’s efforts to promote behavioural change among young Nigerians, encouraging them to uphold integrity, honour, and character.

He said the project also seeks to equip young people with information about the legal options available to them when they experience online abuse.

“When someone threatens you through a digital device, do not keep silent. You can report,” he said, urging young people facing threats such as sextortion not to give in to blackmail.

Toyin Taiwo-Ojo, a child safety advocate and legal practitioner, said children were increasingly exposed to online dangers because digital devices had become part of their everyday lives.

Mrs Taiwo-Ojo, who is also the general secretary of the Nigerian chapter of the African Women Lawyers Association, said parents sometimes give children phones and other electronic devices to keep them occupied or support their schoolwork without adequately considering the risks.

She advised parents to supervise their children’s online activities and, where possible, ensure that devices used by children below 16 years are monitored.

She also urged parents to teach children to recognise warning signs of online grooming, including strangers asking them to keep conversations secret or arrange physical meetings without their parents’ knowledge.

“Anybody who wants them to keep a conversation secret from their parents, or who wants to meet them physically without their parents being there, should be someone they are wary of,” she said.

Ms Taiwo-Ojo also cautioned students against sharing unverified information or participating in harmful online interactions, noting that even liking or sharing certain content could expose users to legal consequences.

She urged young people to consider whether a post was true, helpful, inspiring, necessary and kind before sharing it.

Sade Adeyemi, an associate professor of mental health education, remedial and reformatory counselling at the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), also warned that young people could encounter misleading and harmful content while using the internet for learning, entertainment and social networking.

She said children need to establish digital boundaries to protect their social and emotional well-being.

Ms Adeyemi encouraged students to adopt the principle of “THINK” before posting or sharing content online, asking themselves whether it was true, helpful, inspiring, necessary and kind.

Mr Fadeyi also urged parents to recognise that their conduct at home could influence their children’s behaviour more strongly than their instructions.

He said parents should model honesty, diligence and responsible behaviour, rather than “place excessive emphasis on money and material success.”