Ben Uzor Jr
Stakeholders in the Information and Communications
Technology (ICT), health and public sectors have advocated the control of the
Internet for the protection of children against online vulnerabilities. They
are all agreed that there was need for a concerted efforts in addressing the
challenges of children’s vulnerability online, noted that government’s support
was also critical for this to be realisable. Speaking at the Tech4D forum on
‘ICT and Child Development: Benefit and challenges’ organised by Women in
Technology in Nigeria (WITIN), Eugene Juwah, executive vice chairman, Nigerian
Communications Commission (NCC), said that the Internet has raised the issue of
children’s vulnerability, adding that it was critical for all stakeholders to
strengthen efforts towards ensuring that the cyberspace is a safe place for
children to learn.
Juwah, represented by head, Policy Economic Analysis,
NCC, Henry Ikemadu, stated that the Internet is a wonderful resource for
providing information on education, research and entertainment, but “it has
also exposed children and young people to bullying, extremism, gambling,
pornography and violent games, among other vices.” Giving vivid insight into
some of the regulatory frameworks on children use of the internet and mobile communications
technology and child online protection in Nigeria, the NCC helmsman pointed out
that to protect the child online, there is need to have concerted efforts of
all stakeholders including children and young people themselves in
understanding issues and risks involved in the use of the Internet and other
mobile communications technologies.
He called for “An all-inclusive multi-stakeholder and
multi-sectoral collaboration (NGOs, MDAs, Telecoms Operators, Media),
partnerships and alliances must be forged to ensure Child Online Protection by
creating more awareness among children on the negative consequences of improper
use of cyber content,” promising that NCC will advocate for a statute or
legislation on online activities and pursue vigorously the monitoring exercises
of cybercafés and other online service providers. Adeyemo Veronica, Acting
Director of ICT, Federal Ministry of information, said parent should establish
from the beginning that using the internet requires a level of maturity. “If your
child uses the internet inappropriately, you may need to set some restrictions.
Try helping your child with his/her homework by using the computer to do
research on the internet and agree that the computer can be used as a resource
to encourage the child take school work more seriously.”
Only recently, the International Telecommunications Union
(ITU) Child Online Protection (COP) initiative was endorsed by UN
Secretary-General, Ban Ki Moon; heads of states, ministers and heads of
international organisations around the world. It aimed at promoting global
awareness about the importance of child safety in the online world, developing
practical tools to assist governments, industry and educators and sharing
experiences to ensure a safe and secure online experience for children. Four
years ago, ITU launched the Child Online Protection (COP) initiative, an
international collaborative effort led by ITU within the framework of the
union’s Global Cybersecurity Agenda. Chris Uwaje, President, Institute of Software
Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), said that “the Internet is a golden
opportunity for global competitiveness.
“So, all nations must take the global ICT revolution
seriously.” In his paper presentation entitled: “Future and Survivability of
Nigerian Children”, Uwaje advised parents to read more to catch up with the
latest trends because as it concerns the Internet, children know more than the
parents. In his speech, Ernest Ndukwe, former EVC of NCC and current Chairman
of Open Media was emphatic that ICT is very essential to children and that the
future of media and technology lies in better integration of digital
experiences with the real world. Ndukwe noted that “the combination of
technology and computer have been known to deliver results in the way we live
today.” Moreover, ICT remains imperative in planning and development of the
nation’s economy and that growth has been recorded in ICT applications while
others still require urgent attention.
Gerald Ilukwe, chief executive officer, Galaxy Backbone,
represented by Amara Nwankpa, Head, Marketing, Galaxy Backbone, said in the
Internet age, the teacher is no longer the expert because there are multiple
channels of learning today. “We have moved from just-in-case learning to
just-in-time learning,” Ilukwe adds. “ICT has the potential to transform the
capacity of a new generation through education.”Other speakers include: State
Secretary for Digital Agenda, Republic of Serbia, Jasna Mati; actress Shan
George; principal consultant, Geebard Concepts Ltd, AVM Femi Gbadebo; Regulatory
Affairs advisor, MTN Nigeria, Funmilayo Willoughby, and others.
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