Mr. Muhammed Rudman, CEO of Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), today called for urgent, coordinated action to protect children in Nigeria’s fast-growing digital landscape, warning that a lack of implementation, funding, and awareness is threatening child safety online.
Mr. Rudman, immediate past President of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), who made the call while speaking today during a webinar on the theme, “What is Right for Children and Their Data? Exploring Best Practices When Designing Online Services to Engage with and Protect Children,” hosted by the Ndukwe Kalu Foundation (NKF) highlights glaring gaps in Nigeria’s child online protection ecosystem. “Even while we’re doing this webinar, I’m trying to find where to report child abuse online—and I honestly can’t,” says. “I checked the NCC website. I checked MTN. I couldn’t pinpoint anything quickly.”
Mr. Rudman, who is known for his technical expertise in internet governance, is urging Nigerian regulators, telecoms, tech firms and parents to urgently step up their responsibilities in safeguarding the digital lives of children. “Yes, we have laws and policies—but where is the hotline to report violations? If there’s cyberbullying or nude images of a teenager circulating, who do you call?” he asks.
Instead of relying solely on laws, Mr. Rudman believes a multi-dimensional solution is required—one that involves government, tech firms, civil society, and especially parents and educators. “Giving a two-year-old a device isn’t wrong. It’s reality for working parents. But it’s like crossing the road with your eyes closed,” he is warning. “There are tools out there, but parents must do their homework.”
Child online protection: Who tales responsibility?
“Implementation is key,” Mr. Rudman is insisting. “Even if we have good regulations, the real issue is implementation—who takes responsibility?”
The IXPN CEO points to the chronic underfunding of Nigeria’s cybercrime units, noting that without financial and technical capacity, institutions like the Police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are ill-equipped to tackle online child exploitation.
“From my engagements, even at a high level, the technical capacity simply isn’t there,” he adds. “We need to simplify things.”
Citing his real-time attempts to locate child safety resources online during the webinar, Mr. Rudman explains that the only contact number he could find was on an NGO site, which he says failed to connect when dialled.
Instead of relying solely on laws, Mr. Rudman believes a multi-dimensional solution is required—one that involves government, tech firms, civil society, and especially parents and educators. “Giving a two-year-old a device isn’t wrong. It’s reality for working parents. But it’s like crossing the road with your eyes closed,” he is warning. “There are tools out there, but parents must do their homework.”
He outlines two key areas for technical solutions: Access Networks and Applications.
On Access Networks, Mr. Rudman says ISPs and telecoms operators must offer services that allow content filtering and child-safe browsing. “Some ISPs outside Nigeria already do this. Airtel, for instance, has an app for child protection. But how many Nigerian parents know this?” he asks.
On the Application Side, he notes that platforms like YouTube and mobile operating systems already support child safety tools. “Google allows account linking. Apple’s iOS has parental controls. But it all depends on awareness,” he adds.
In a call for systemic reform, Mr. Rudman is urging Nigerian stakeholders to develop a centralised, data-free, government-owned portal—accessible in Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and other local languages—where parents can find safety tips, configure digital tools, and report abuse.
“Imagine a portal that works even when you have zero data. Telcos like MTN and Airtel should allow free access. That’s how we reach every home,” he is proposing.
“Imagine a portal that works even when you have zero data. Telcos like MTN and Airtel should allow free access. That’s how we reach every home,” he is proposing.
Pressed on what else the tech ecosystem can do, Mr. Rudman is pointing to proactive solutions like content filtering, artificial intelligence (AI)-based threat detection, and metadata retention. “Countries like the UK and China filter harmful content at network level. We don’t need their kind of firewalls, but we must act,” he adds.
He is urging Nigerian telcos to:
- Filter and block harmful websites.
- Offer child-safe data bundles.
- Retain metadata for up to one year to aid investigations.
- Partner with global watchdogs like the Internet Watch Foundation.
- Fund public awareness campaigns and school-based internet safety training.
“Access to the internet in schools must be filtered,” he stresses. “This requires specialised services and collaboration between telcos, regulators and civil society.”
Mr. Rudman concludes with a powerful reminder: “This isn’t about policy alone. It’s technical. And it’s personal—for all of us with children.”
The NKF-hosted webinar is drawing speakers across disciplines, but Rudman’s hard-hitting insights are resonating deeply with participants, who are agreeing that protecting children online is a shared duty.
As Nigeria’s digital transformation gathers pace, the call from Rudman is clear: don’t just legislate—implement, educate, and empower.
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