In September 2024, an 18-year-old was arrested over allegations that he used a screenshot of a private image of a former secondary school classmate to blackmail her. He allegedly threatened to share the image unless she sent more explicit content, and demanded sex and money. The case shows how quickly the misuse of a private image can expose a young person to coercion and exploitation, with consequences that extend far beyond the screen.

The Nigeria Data Protection Act governs how personal information is collected and shared, and the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, as amended in 2024, criminalises cyberstalking and online harassment. But these protections reach a student only if the student recognises a violation and knows where to turn. Knowing how to use a phone or social media does not mean understanding consent or privacy. A student whose photograph is shared without permission, or who is bullied or harassed online, may stay silent out of shame or fear, delete messages that could serve as evidence, or not know which adult can help.

AL Nigeria set out to give secondary school students in Nasarawa State a consistent place to learn about their rights and a known person to report to. Through our Community Frontline Advocates (CFAs), we engaged school leaders and followed up with formal letters asking each school to make two commitments. The first is a digital rights club, where students learn about their rights and discuss their experiences online. The second is a staff member designated as a digital rights desk officer, whom students can approach when something goes wrong. In return, we committed to training the desk officers and developing a draft curriculum for the clubs. It will cover consent before sharing photographs or private conversations, recognising cyberbullying and online exploitation, protecting personal information, and reporting violations, including through our partnership with Paradigm Initiative on Ripoti, an anonymous platform for reporting digital rights violations and accessing support such as legal assistance and counselling.

Of the nine schools engaged so far, three have taken steps towards establishing digital rights clubs and designating digital rights desk officers for the 2026/2027 academic session. The schools are Government Secondary School, Akwanga Central; Government Secondary School, Akwanga South; and Trendsetters Secondary School, A.A. Koto, Akwanga. Each has nominated a staff member to serve as a digital rights desk officer and agreed to establish a club in the next academic session. Discussions with the remaining six schools are ongoing.

These steps bring digital safety closer to the school environment by identifying staff members who can serve as points of contact for students and creating plans for a structured space where students can learn about their rights and responsibilities online.

“Our students spend more time on their phones than we know, and when something goes wrong online, they don’t tell anyone because they don’t know who to tell. With a desk officer in place, they will know exactly where to go.” – Principal, participating secondary school, Nasarawa State.

Over the coming months, we will work towards securing formal school approval, train the nominated desk officers, finalise the curriculum and support the three schools as they launch their clubs, while continuing discussions with the remaining six. We will measure success by whether students in these schools know their rights, report violations and get help, and report back once the clubs are running.