Africa’s largest mobile network operator, MTN, has teamed up with youth‑oriented broadcaster MTV Base to roll out Room of Safety, a 10‑part short‑form series designed to raise awareness about online child safety and encourage positive digital behaviour. The programme premieres on 20 July 2025 at 15:00 on MTV Base (DStv channel 322) and on the MTVBaseSouth and MTVBaseAfrica social platforms.
The series, fronted by Paramount’s Culture Squad member Craig Nobela and featuring young African influencers such as Yanda Woods, LordKez, Foyin Ongunrombi, Azana, MajorSteez, Melissa Nayimuli, Mawelele and Naledi, forms the centrepiece of MTN’s Help Children Be Children campaign. Through relatable storytelling, the initiative seeks to equip young audiences with tools to navigate online risks and foster safer digital communities.
“As technology evolves, we’re seeing serious risks, AI misuse, online stalking, and exploitation, mirror and sometimes intensify the harm we once associated only with the physical world. At MTN, we believe access must go hand‑in‑hand with protection. Through our partnership with MTV Base on Room of Safety, we’re amplifying the voices of young people to speak to, and stand up for, each other, creating a safer, more conscious digital future,” said, Marina Madale, Executive Sustainability and Shared Value, MTN Group.
“For two decades, MTV Base has been at the forefront of shaping youth culture and using our platform to spotlight issues that matter. From HIV awareness to gender equality and mental health, we’ve consistently championed content that drives change. With Room of Safety, we’re continuing that legacy, empowering young people to navigate the digital world safely and confidently. This partnership with MTN is a powerful step in protecting the next generation and ensuring their voices are heard,” said, Monde Twala, Senior Vice President and GM of Editorial, Paramount Africa.
Alarming trends in online behaviour
Research by Ipsos for MTN across Nigeria, South Sudan and Zambia reveals that one in ten children in Nigeria and South Sudan reported online harassment, while 20 per cent of children in South Sudan experienced cyber‑bullying. In Nigeria, 79 per cent of adolescents aged 13–17 spend more than an hour online daily, heightening exposure to harmful content. Up to 40 per cent of teens across the three countries admitted adding strangers to messaging apps, and children in Juba who spend over an hour online are 17 times more likely to engage in risky behaviour.
Beyond awareness to action
MTN’s broader initiative includes strengthening national reporting portals and child helplines, and expanding access to the Africa Online Safety Portal. The reporting tool allows users to flag URLs containing child sexual abuse material, which are reviewed and removed often within an hour. Fewer than a quarter of children are aware such portals exist, yet more than 80 per cent want service providers to enable direct reporting of abuse.
A continental call
With digital threats evolving alongside technologies such as artificial intelligence, MTN and MTV Base are urging governments, educators, parents and the private sector to close data gaps, fast‑track regulation, and scale digital literacy. Room of Safety aims to turn that awareness into grassroots action, offering young people and their supporters the resources to “stay safe, speak up, and stand together” in building a safer online environment for Africa’s next generation.
