NAN-H-82
Career
By Constance Athekame
Abuja, Feb. 6, 2018 (NAN) Safer Internet Nigeria Team, an NGO on Tuesday admonished youths and children on the positive use of internet to avoid vices that could ruin their lives and future careers.
Mbanan Mku, the Digital Engagement Officer of the team said this on Tuesday during of the Safer Internet Day Celebration held in Abuja.
The event was organised by Safer Internet Nigeria Team in partnership with the National Films and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) with support from Google.
Safer Internet Day (SID) is a global event held across the world every Feb. 6 to promote safe and more responsible use of the internet.
The 2018 theme is: “Create, Connect and Share Respect: A Better Internet Starts with you”.
Mku said the aim of the event was to sensitise everyone, especially young people on the responsible use of technology in line with cyber security.
According to her, SID is a globally held event organised across the world every February to promote safe and more responsible use of the internet, especially among children and young people.
The SID was birthed in Europe in 2004, and had spread to more than 100 countries across the world, involving thousands of people promoting the safe use of the internet.
“For the past four years, the Safer Internet Nigeria team and NFVCB have consistently celebrated SID with close to 2,000 students in attendance.
“From cyber building to social networking, each year, SID aims to raise awareness of emerging online issues and chooses a theme reflecting present concerns.’’
She said for the first time since the celebration of SID in Nigeria, trainings were simultaneously held in various schools across the 36 states to commemorate the event bringing the total participants to about 2,000.
A representative from Google, Mr Babatunde Olaifa said online safety was key to Google, saying that was why Google was partnering with Safer Nigeria Team to promote the safer internet day.
He said there were tremendous benefits to be derived from the internet as research could be done and things about the culture and people could be learnt.
“So we can’t really block a child from going to the internet but what should be done is to guide them on the use.
“It is our responsibility as parents to let our children know what to do while on internet and at Google, one of the things we are concerned about is the safety of the use of the internet.
“Google wants you to use the internet and at the same time, we want you to be safe, that is why we are celebrating the SID day,’’ he said.
Miss Fatima Yunusa, a Nigerian Web Ranger Ambassador and an SSS 3 Student of Queens College Lagos, urged students to use the internet in the right way, adding that there were a lot of things the internet could do.
Yunusa said positive use of the internet had helped her to acquire a lot of knowledge.
She said the Web Ranger Team had a lot of programmes on safer internet and cyber bullying.
She said people should make up their minds on what would benefit them by using the internet positively.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was attended by 150 students from both public and private schools across the Federal Capital Territory.
As part of the activities for the day, students participated in breakout sessions which enabled them devise creative tools and content in promoting the safe use of the internet among their peers.
Some of the activities include drama, graphic designing and debates. (NAN)
COA/COO/GY
===========
Edited by Cecilia Odey/Grace Yussuf