King Charles III and Katmaan Senlong at the Nigerian Diaspora in the UK Reception.
Andrew Parsons – Photo credit
The day before Katmaan Senlong walked into St. James Palace London, Nigeria launched its national consultation on protecting children from social media. What happened next is a story about timing, purpose and a country finding its place in a global conversation
WORCESTER / ABUJA – On Tuesday 10th March 2026, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, announced the launch of a national public consultation on child online safety, exploring age restrictions on social media platforms, stronger age verification systems and greater accountability for digital platforms. The consultation, developed in partnership with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, represents one of the most significant steps Nigeria has taken towards protecting its children in the digital age.
The following evening, Mrs Katmaan Senlong, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Rupetta Group, attended a function at St. James Palace London. In the course of conversation, His Majesty King Charles III remarked sharply and without hesitation that children should be kept away from social media, noting the importance of education as he did so. Mrs Senlong, a founder of schools and an ICT Lawyer by training, received those words as a woman who had spent years arriving at exactly the same conclusion herself.
The two moments, Nigeria’s own policy move and the King’s remark to Katmaan at St. James Palace London, were separated by a single day and an ocean. Together they tell one story. Nigeria is not behind on this issue. Nigeria is moving, and the world is moving with it.
This is a global tide. Australia became the first country to ban social media for children under the age of 16, with the law taking effect in December 2025 and resulting in the immediate removal of 4.7 million underage accounts. France voted in January 2026 to ban children under 15 from all platforms, by 130 votes to 21 in its National Assembly, after evidence emerged of widespread sleep disruption, falling self-esteem and exposure to harmful content among teenagers. Norway, Denmark, Malaysia and Spain are all advancing similar legislation. The United Kingdom itself opened a formal parliamentary consultation in March 2026. Nigeria is now seated at that same table.
King Charles has held this concern for some time. In September 2025, following a private church service in Scotland, His Majesty spoke candidly about the harm social media was causing young people, describing it as deeply troubling. His King’s Trust International, founded on his initiative, already operates in Nigeria, supporting over 30,000 young people across nine African countries with programmes in digital skills, enterprise and employment. His Majesty understands what is at stake for young Nigerians because he has been paying attention.
Mrs Senlong has been paying attention too. Rupetta Academy was founded on the conviction that a child engaged in chess, science, structured learning and physical activity does not need the hollow approval of a social media feed to feel valued. Her children have competed in world record chess events. They have been celebrated on international stages. They have been given something real to hold onto. That is precisely the kind of educational philosophy that the King referenced when the conversation turned to children and screens at St. James Palace London.
Mrs Senlong reflected on the week’s remarkable sequence of events with characteristic focus.
“Nigeria moved first and that matters enormously. What the government has begun is bold, necessary and timely. The question being asked globally is no longer whether children should be protected from social media. The question is how quickly we act and how wisely we build the alternatives. Rupetta Academy has always been about building those alternatives. We are proud to stand on the right side of this moment.”
Next week, President Bola Tinubu will arrive at Windsor Castle for Nigeria’s first state visit to the United Kingdom in 37 years. Education, technology and youth empowerment sit at the heart of that agenda. Nigeria arrives at that meeting not as a country waiting to be advised but as a country already in motion, already consulting its citizens, already passing legislation through its House of Representatives with the Child Online Access Protection Bill, and already producing educators who are shaping this conversation from the inside out.
The King’s words at St. James Palace London were quick and clear. Nigeria was already thinking the same thing.
About Mrs Katmaan Senlong
Mrs Katmaan Senlong is the President and CEO of the Rupetta Group, comprising Rupetta Academy Training Institute UK, Rupetta Academy The Acorn Nursery and Primary School Abuja, Nigeria, Tech Swimmers Club for Kids and Rupetta Media. She holds an LLM in Information Technology and Telecommunications Law from the University of Strathclyde and a law degree from the University of Jos, Nigeria. She is based in Worcester, United Kingdom.
Media Enquiries: Rupetta Group Communications info@rupettagroup.com Worcester, United Kingdom | Abuja, Nigeria
