• Government launches a 2025–2029 national child online protection strategy with a $1.8 million budget.
• UNICEF and GSMA created the Africa Taskforce on Child Online Protection in October 2025 to harmonize continental standards.
• Zambia joins Nigeria and Ghana, which already adopted national policies on child cybersecurity.

Zambia has introduced a national strategy to protect children online as digital adoption accelerates amo

ng the country’s youth. The government aims to ensure safer and more responsible Internet access for minors.

The government launched the National Child Online Protection Strategy (2025–2029) on Monday, November 24. The document sets a roadmap to strengthen digital safety for children nationwide and to build a safer online environment for young users.

The government allocated $1.8 million to this plan. The strategy focuses on several pillars, including strengthened national policy coordination, development of digital skills, awareness programs for children and parents, and a structured collaboration framework connecting public, private and civil society stakeholders.

This initiative comes as Internet penetration grows quickly across Africa, especially among younger populations. UNICEF reports that African children rank among the fastest-growing digital user groups worldwide, which increases their exposure to cyberbullying, misinformation, online exploitation and harmful content.

These risks prompted UNICEF and GSMA in October 2025 to launch the Africa Taskforce on Child Online Protection (COP). The platform aims to harmonize protection efforts, deepen cooperation among states and promote shared digital safety standards across the continent.

In Zambia, recent national data on children’s Internet use remains limited. Authorities, however, recognize a steady rise in youth connectivity, which makes preventive, educational and regulatory measures urgent.

With this strategy, Zambia joins other African countries that have already implemented structured national child online safety policies. Nigeria and Ghana in recent years adopted legal frameworks and government programs dedicated to child cybersecurity.

If fully implemented, Zambia’s strategy could reduce minors’ exposure to digital risks and strengthen trust among families and schools in the use of online tools. Its success, however, will also depend on the development of an adapted legislative framework to ensure a safe, inclusive and protective digital environment for children.

Samira Njoya