A civic technology organisation, Techsocietal on Tuesday said that survey had shown that 79 per cent of Nigerian children aged 11 years to 16 years feel unsafe online.
Techsocietal’s Programmes Manager, Mr Gabriel Odunsi, disclosed this at its 2026 Safer Internet Day workshop for educators held in Lagos, which had the theme, “AI Aware: Safe, Smart and in Control.”
Odunsi said further that survey revealed that 97 per cent of Nigerian children had experienced unwanted sexual approaches through chatrooms, social networking sites and emails.
He said that the survey also indicated that 93 per cent of children within the age bracket of 11 years and 16 years had accessed the internet through phones or digital devices.
Odunsi said: “Eighty-nine per cent of these children reported receiving sexual images or content online.
“Children are increasingly connected through smartphones, social media and online platforms, making the digital space central to learning, communication and identity formation.”
He said the findings further revealed that 48 per cent of children watch videos online daily while 85 per cent browse and use chat and social networking sites every day.
The programmes manager identified key online risks facing school children as cyberbullying, online sexual abuse, exposure to harmful content such as pornography and violence, privacy breaches, scams and exploitation, as well as problematic screen use.
According to him, excessive screen time can lead to sleep problems, reduced attention span and declining academic performance.
“Students are constantly connected through smartphones, social media and online platforms, exposing them to vast information and diverse perspectives at a young age.
“While access to digital tools enhances research, creativity and collaboration, it also creates risks such as distraction, reduced attention span and information overload.
“Digital platforms now shape friendships and peer relationships, they also influence how children build reputation and identity,” he said.
Odunsi stressed that this was why educators must provide guidance on safe and respectful online behaviour.
He said teachers must model responsible digital behaviour, integrate digital literacy into daily teaching, recognise warning signs of digital harm and collaborate with parents and communities to protect learners.
He noted that many education professionals still lacked practical guidance on addressing emerging digital risks, including technology-facilitated harm and data privacy concerns, in an age-appropriate manner.
Also speaking, Techsocietal’s Programme Officer for Cybersecurity and Digital Protection, Miss Emmanuella Aston, urged schools to strengthen data privacy practices.
Aston said that student data included names, addresses, academic records, health information and photos that could reveal identity or location.
She described digital footprint as the unique trail of data left behind while using the internet, noting that it could be active or passive.
“Active footprint is data shared intentionally such as photos teachers post of students or information entered into school portals.
“Passive footprint include metadata hidden in photos, browsing history on school computers and location data tracked by apps,” she said.
Aston warned that poor management of digital footprints could expose students to physical vulnerability, identity theft, fraud, social engineering and targeted scams.
Describing data privacy for educators, she said it meant ensuring that a student’s personal, academic and behavioural information was collected, stored and shared only with authorised individuals for legitimate educational purposes.
In another presentation, Techsocietal’s Legal and Policy Programme Officer, Miss Jessica Eni, stressed the need for trauma-informed response when students report online abuse.
Eni urged teachers to avoid victim blaming and focus on empathy and survivor support, saying that cultural attitudes sometimes encouraged blaming survivors for abuse.
She said the first response of an educator could determine whether a survivor of online abuse would open up or withdraw.
“Imagine a student finally finds the courage to tell you something difficult. That first conversation determines everything.
“One wrong word and they shut down, but empathy sets you apart,” she said.
The Techsocietal officer urged teachers to validate victims, listen without judgment and offer realistic options, rather than questioning their choices or minimising harm because it happened online.
She advised schools to ensure immediate safety, preserve evidence such as screenshots with timestamps and usernames, and avoid sharing sensitive content through unsecured messaging platforms.
“Digital evidence can disappear fast, but it must be handled with discretion. Do not use personal devices or consumer messaging apps like WhatsApp to store or share evidence,” she said.
Participants at the workshop described it as impactful and timely.
Mr Ayodele Omogbehin, a Teacher from Christ the Redeemer Secondary School, Gbagada, said the training had equipped him to educate students on safe internet practices.
“I have learned that a safer internet is possible. I believe we are now well-equipped to go back to our schools and inform our students and learners about safer internet practices,” Omogbehin said.
Also, Ms Abiola Mudashiru, a Teacher from Aje Comprehensive Senior High School, said the programme had enlightened her on policy development, collaboration with parents and the need to extend the training to more schools.
Mudashiru called for broader engagement with the education sector and the Ministry of Education to institutionalise internet safety education.
The participants urged Techsocietal to sustain the programme and expand it across schools to strengthen child online protection and responsible digital citizenship.
