By: Olawale Olamilekan Habeeb

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has called for restrictions on social media access for individuals under the age of 16 in Nigeria, citing growing global concerns about the impact of digital platforms on young people.

Falana made the call on Saturday at the maiden edition of the Dare2Debate competition held in Lagos. The initiative is designed to groom future leaders and critical thinkers through structured debates among secondary school students, under its core programme, “Think, Speak, and Lead.”

Speaking as a special guest at the event, Falana stressed the need for protective measures to safeguard children in an increasingly digital world. He noted that debates on regulating young people’s access to social media are ongoing globally, with some countries already taking action.

“Countries are already restricting access. Australia, for instance, has insisted that children under 16 should not access social media,” he said. “Once such measures are adopted by countries like the United States or the United Kingdom, Nigeria will likely follow suit. One way or the other, social media use must be regulated in the interest of our children.”

He further described Nigeria as a neo-colonial state, explaining that despite its independence, many of its policies and practices remain influenced by the United Kingdom.

On crime, Falana dismissed the notion that Nigerians are inherently criminal, arguing instead that poverty, unemployment, and underemployment are major factors driving some individuals into criminal activities. He added that crime rates in Nigeria are relatively lower compared to countries such as the United States and South Africa.

“Nigerians are not criminals,” he said. “But when poverty and unemployment thrive, people are pushed into crime. Many who believe opportunities abroad are limitless often end up doing menial jobs.”

Falana also blamed Nigeria’s distorted educational system for the poor skill level among many local artisans, creating a vacuum now filled by foreign workers from countries such as Togo, Ghana, Benin Republic, China, and India.

He urged the government to take unemployment statistics seriously, noting that in some countries such data are published daily and used as benchmarks for policy direction and government performance.

The Punch