Google Invests $600,000 To Promote Children’s Online Safety In Nigeria

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The initiatives supported through Google.org, the company’s philanthropic arm, will combine research into digital risks facing adolescents with practical training to equip families, educators and community leaders to protect children online.

The development comes amid growing concerns over children’s exposure to harmful online content, with recent public consultations conducted by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) indicating that 93.5 per cent of Nigerians are concerned about online harms facing minors.

Under the programme, Google.org is providing $550,000 in funding and $50,000 in Google Ad Grants to TechSocietal Development Foundation to conduct a baseline study of youth digital risks across the country.

The study will survey 2,000 adolescents across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, while the organisation will also deliver its Safety First curriculum to 5,000 teachers and school administrators and train 200 community champions to reach up to 10,000 parents and caregivers.

Google is also introducing its Meet LEO programme, meaning Learn and Explore Online, to Nigeria in its first pilot in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The initiative, to be delivered by Tech Hive Advisory across four states, will train 500 educators and youth leaders to establish digital safety rules using tools such as Google Family Link, SafeSearch and YouTube Supervised Experiences.

The trained educators and youth leaders are expected to extend the programme to another 2,500 students and community members.

Speaking on the initiatives, Google’s Country Director for Nigeria, Olumide Balogun, said protecting children from online dangers should not deprive them of the opportunities available through digital technology.

“It takes a village to raise a child, and today that village extends into the digital world, where protecting our children must never mean disconnecting them from their future,” Balogun said.

He added, “We build protections into our products by default, and by pairing them with local research through TechSocietal and educator training through Tech Hive Advisory, we are helping every Nigerian child learn and explore safely online.”

Also speaking, the National Commissioner of the NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, said collaboration among government, technology companies, educators and families was necessary to address the growing risks children face in the digital environment.

“Protecting our children in the digital world requires active collaboration across government, technology platforms, educators, and families. The NDPC’s recent national consultations made it clear that Nigerians are deeply concerned about the risks young people face online,” he said.

Olatunji described Google’s support for nationwide research and grassroots training as an important contribution to efforts to strengthen child protection in the digital space.

“Google’s support for nationwide research through TechSocietal, alongside the practical, grassroots safety training being delivered with Tech Hive Advisory through the Meet LEO program, marks a significant and commendable step forward.

“By combining local evidence with hands-on digital skills, we are building a safer, more empowering digital environment where every Nigerian child can learn, explore, and thrive,” the NDPC commissioner added.

The Lead Partner at Tech Hive Advisory, Ridwan Oloyede, said the introduction of Meet LEO would provide frontline educators and youth leaders with practical knowledge and tools to promote responsible internet use.

“Bringing the first Sub-Saharan African pilot of Meet LEO to Nigeria puts usable safety tools directly in the hands of 500 frontline educators and youth leaders, creating a multiplier effect that will reach 2,500 learners,” Oloyede said.

Similarly, the Executive Director of TechSocietal Development Foundation, Tope Ogundipe, said the funding would support evidence-based interventions and expand the capacity of adults responsible for guiding young people in their use of digital platforms.

“With this support from Google.org, we are launching the country’s first nationwide baseline study of 2,000 adolescents across all six geopolitical zones, while equipping 15,000 teachers and caregivers with the skills to guide young people safely through the digital world,” Ogundipe said.

The initiatives come against the backdrop of growing internet adoption among young Africans, with more than 22 million people across the continent turning 18 annually. Many young people also access the internet through mobile phones shared among several family members.

The development has increased the importance of equipping parents, teachers and other caregivers with the knowledge to identify online risks while ensuring children continue to benefit from digital learning, communication and other opportunities.

Google said the latest commitments build on more than $3.5 million provided by Google.org for online safety initiatives across Sub-Saharan Africa since 2020.

According to the company, the support has reached 2.3 million Nigerians through 10 local organisations, while more than 43,000 young people have received training through its collaboration with Junior Achievement Africa.

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