MTN has partnered with MTV Base to launch Room of Safety, a youth-led series aimed at tackling online harm and empowering African teenagers to report abuse and navigate digital spaces safely.
In Nigeria, 79% of adolescents aged 13–17 spend more than an hour online daily, increasing exposure to risky behaviour. Across the three countries, 30–40% of teens admit adding strangers to messaging apps. In Juba, children who spend more than an hour online daily are 17 times more likely to engage in risky online behaviour.
The new series comes as data shows more young people across Africa face cyberbullying, exploitation and emerging threats like AI misuse.
Room of Safety, a 10-part short-form series, will premiere July 20 on MTV Base (DStv channel 322) and on MTV Base’s digital platforms. The series features MTV’s Culture Squad member Craig Nobela and influencers including Yanda Woods, LordKez, Foyin Ongunrombi, Azana, MajorSteez, Melissa Nayimuli, Mawelele and Naledi, who share personal stories and tools for staying safe online.
Marina Madale, MTN Group Executive for Sustainability and Shared Value, says the campaign is about giving young people the power to protect themselves and each other.
“As technology evolves, we’re seeing serious risks, AI misuse, online stalking, and exploitation, mirror and sometimes intensify the harm we once associated only with the physical world,” Madale says. “At MTN, we believe access must go hand-in-hand with protection. Through our partnership with MTV Base on Room of Safety, we’re amplifying the voices of young people to speak to, and stand up for, each other, creating a safer, more conscious digital future.”
Monde Twala, Senior Vice President and GM of Editorial at Paramount Africa, explains that MTV Base has long used its platforms to tackle youth issues. “For two decades, MTV Base has been at the forefront of shaping youth culture and using our platform to spotlight issues that matter. From HIV awareness to gender equality and mental health, we’ve consistently championed content that drives change,” Twala says. “With Room of Safety, we’re continuing that legacy, empowering young people to navigate the digital world safely and confidently. This partnership with MTN is a powerful step in protecting the next generation and ensuring their voices are heard.”
An Ipsos study commissioned by MTN depicts the urgency. Surveying children aged 8–17 in Nigeria, South Sudan and Zambia, the research finds one in 10 children in Nigeria and South Sudan report being harassed online. In South Sudan, 20% say they have faced online bullying which is the highest among the countries surveyed.
In Nigeria, 79% of adolescents aged 13–17 spend more than an hour online daily, increasing exposure to risky behaviour. Across the three countries, 30–40% of teens admit adding strangers to messaging apps. In Juba, children who spend more than an hour online daily are 17 times more likely to engage in risky online behaviour.
MTN says this is why it is scaling up its Help Children Be Children initiative, which includes strengthening national child helplines, supporting local reporting portals, and expanding access to the Africa Online Safety Portal. This platform enables people to report URLs containing child sexual abuse material, which are reviewed by analysts and often removed within an hour.
Industry bodies say Africa needs a coordinated response. The GSMA, the global association for mobile operators, recently urged regulators and governments to close data gaps, enact robust online safety policies and embed digital literacy in school curricula to keep pace with growing risks and advance child online protection in Nigeria.
In December, MTN released research showing that more than half of Nigerian children surveyed had experienced online bullying or harassment. Many reported increased anxiety and social withdrawal as a result. Despite this, only 20–22% of children know about reporting tools. Yet over 80% want telecoms to make it easier to report harmful content.
MTN and MTV Base say they are going to use their “reach to turn awareness into action,” and equip “youth and those who support them with the tools to stay safe, speak up, and stand together.”
Home
