It is common to hear pupils proudly recite a parent’s phone number in Nigerian classrooms. My mummy’s number is 09012345678. For parents, especially mothers who are first or second-generation mobile phone users, teaching data privacy to children is not mere civility but a data privacy and safety precaution.
Mothers help children memorise mobile numbers in case they get lost, need help, or must reach out quickly. But in today’s world, this simple act of care now sits at the crossroads of a bigger concern: data privacy.
Without guidance, a child who has learned their mother’s number by heart may unknowingly expose their family to risk by disclosing it to a stranger, a peer, a casual vendor, or even teachers, without parental consent.
Our education lawyers call on parents, teachers, school authorities, and especially education regulators to unbundle data privacy for Nigerian school children.
We must teach our children that phone numbers and personal data are not to be shared carelessly – or bragged about.
Nigerian schools must embed a culture of in-depth data privacy teaching in the curriculum of Nigeria’s basic education system.
Phone Numbers Are Personal Data
Under Nigeria’s data protection regime, especially the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023, personal data includes information that can identify a person directly or indirectly. Phone numbers fall squarely within that category.
More importantly, the law sets a higher bar where children are involved. The NDPA 2023 insists no child must disclose phone numbers except with verifiable parental consent.
Schools, online platforms, WhatsApp groups, and teachers cannot lawfully collect or use a child’s data and a parent’s phone numbers without parental consent.
But legal compliance isn’t just about official forms. A child freely giving out their parents’ numbers to a classmate, a school bus driver or attendant, or even a teacher without permission amounts to the same risk the law seeks to prevent.
Parents: First Data Privacy Teachers
Most Nigerian parents focus on teaching their children to know their phone number by heart. That’s helpful, but it’s only half the job.
Equally, parents must further teach their children when and why to share phone numbers, and when not to.
Practical Guidance for Parents:
- Teach your child that mummy’s number is like a house key: don’t give it to anyone without permission.
- Use phrases like: “Always ask me before telling anyone my number. Not even your friends or teacher unless I say it’s okay.” “If you can’t ask my permission, don’t share my phone number.”
- Role-play scenarios with your child: what to say if a stranger, classmate, school bus driver or attendant, or unfamiliar adult asks for your number.
Teachers and School Staff Must Understand Consent Too
Teachers in basic education schools across Nigeria sometimes encourage pupils to recite their parents’ numbers publicly. Some ask for the numbers directly from pupils during class registration, club sign-ups, or other routine activities.
Schools have apparent good intentions when processing personal data through children. In any case, such data processing violates best practices in data privacy.
What Teachers Should Do:
- Only collect parent phone numbers through official parent/guardian forms.
- Never ask a pupil to recite their parents’ numbers aloud.
- Avoid creating classroom charts or WhatsApp group rosters that expose private data to others, except with full consent.
- Help reinforce data respect by praising pupils who say, “Let me ask my mum first before I tell you.”
- Centralise access to stored required data. A school bus driver or attendant should not have the same access level as a teacher.
School Authorities: Data Protection Must Be a Policy Priority
Schools are data controllers under Nigerian law. Being a data controller means they have the same legal responsibility as banks, telecoms, or hospitals in protecting personal information, especially when children are involved.
What School Leaders Must Do:
- Train teachers and administrative staff on data protection and the requirements of the NDPA.
- Create and enforce a School Data Privacy Policy, outlining how parent and pupil data is collected, stored, and shared.
- Introduce age-appropriate data awareness sessions for pupils—start small, like teaching children that “private means don’t tell everyone.”
- Review how you handle pupils’ contact on WhatsApp, class groups, PTA lists, and vendor rosters.
Education Regulators: Make It a National Priority
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), States’ Basic Education Commission, State Ministries of Education, and the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) must rise to this moment.
Data privacy in Nigerian schools must become a core value from early years, just as Nigeria incorporates safety, hygiene, and civic education in the curriculum.
A Regulatory Approach Should Include:
- Curriculum Integration: Introduce Digital and Data Citizenship in basic education. Topics should include safe sharing, parental consent, and respect for privacy.
- Teacher Training: Mandatory digital safety and consent modules in pre-service and in-service teacher programmes.
- Monitoring & Compliance: Ensure schools comply with NDPA standards, including a secure collection of parent contact information and minimising unnecessary data exposure.
- Awareness Campaigns: Partner with NGOs, CSOs, and parent-teacher associations to create public campaigns around children and data privacy.
A Child’s Innocence Should Not Be Exploited
When a six-year-old shouts “My mummy’s number is 0803…” in a school corridor, they do not know someone might use it to scam you, pretend to be your friend, or lure them with fake offers.
Ethical behaviour is valuable to data protection – it’s about child data protection and mindset. It’s about preparing the next generation to live, play, and learn in a world where digital information is power.
Conclusion
Privacy Begins with Permission. Whether you are a parent, a teacher, a school leader, or a policymaker, a child must not be the weak link in Nigeria’s privacy chain.
Let’s raise a generation of children who know not only their parents’ phone numbers but also that permission is power. Let’s build a system where “I need to ask my mummy first” is not just a sentence but a safeguard – the African way.
SRJ Legal is Nigeria’s first bespoke education law firm. We complement our education law practice with fintech and commercial dispute (litigation). At the same time, we provide corporate counsel services to businesses and individuals, including families
