Joy Agwunobi
As digital adoption accelerates across Africa and more children gain access to the internet, concerns about online exploitation, harmful content, cyberbullying and misinformation are intensifying. Global and regional actors are responding to these safety challenges with a new collaborative structure aimed at shaping a safer online environment for the continent’s rapidly growing youth population.
The GSMA, in partnership with UNICEF, has officially launched the Africa Taskforce on Child Online Protection (COP), a multi-sector platform designed to advance children’s safety, rights and wellbeing in the digital space. The initiative, unveiled during the Mobile World Congress 2025 (MWC25) in Kigali, seeks to unify efforts across African countries and build sustainable national and regional mechanisms that safeguard young users online.
According to both organisations, Africa’s expanding digital ecosystem offers unprecedented opportunities for education, creativity and participation, yet it simultaneously introduces new threats that demand coordinated action. The continent’s mobile-first connectivity, fast-paced technological evolution and youthful demographics require what they describe as a “homegrown, African-led response” to child online protection.
The launch builds on research and recommendations outlined in the GSMA’s June 2025 whitepaper titled Enhancing Child Online Protection in Sub-Saharan Africa. Produced in collaboration with UNICEF and regional experts, the report urged stronger collaboration among governments, telecom operators, technology companies, civil society organisations and youth-led groups to establish and enforce frameworks that ensure children’s safety online. One of its key recommendations was the creation of this dedicated taskforce to translate advocacy into concrete implementation.
Etleva Kadilli, regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa at UNICEF, emphasised that children must remain at the centre of Africa’s digital transformation. “As Africa’s children step boldly into the digital world, their safety must come first,” she said. “The Africa Taskforce on Child Online Protection is a uniquely African platform to ensure technology shields children from harm while opening doors to learning, play, and growth. By uniting governments, partners, and young people, we can make safety the foundation of Africa’s digital future.”
Designed as a broad coalition, the taskforce will convene diverse partners from the mobile industry, technology sector, regulatory agencies, law enforcement institutions and civil society organisations. Its core objective is to strengthen policy alignment, improve coordination and accelerate the enforcement of existing regional strategies that aim to enhance children’s digital protection while ensuring their meaningful participation in online spaces.
Caroline Mbugua, director of public policy at GSMA Africa, stated that the initiative signals a shift from planning to execution. She said the taskforce aims to “turn the whitepaper’s recommendations into tangible regional progress,” while ensuring children are represented in decision-making processes. “By working in partnership, we can position Africa as a global leader in child-centred digital governance,” she added.
She further noted that embedding online safety principles into the broader digital transformation agenda will help strengthen digital governance frameworks, promote safety-by-design product development, and give young people stronger influence over the rules that shape their future online experiences.
The Africa Taskforce on Child Online Protection currently includes a wide network of regional and international partners such as Axian Telecom, Child Helpline International, INTERPOL, International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC), Internet Watch Foundation, MTN Group, MtotoNews, Orange, Paramount Africa, Safaricom, Vodacom, and youth representatives from Nigeria and Rwanda. Organisers say the coalition will expand further as more stakeholders join efforts to protect children in a rapidly digitising world.
As online participation becomes increasingly essential to education, innovation and social interaction, the establishment of the Taskforce underscores a growing recognition that safety must evolve in step with technology. With Africa’s youth population projected to double by 2050, the initiative marks a move toward ensuring that the continent’s digital future remains both inclusive and safe for its youngest users.
