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By Tracy Yekaghe and Jeremiah Unom
Stakeholders want more technology awareness and data protection activities targeting young people to better prepare them to benefit from technology and make them avoid the inherent dangers of technology abuse.
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They spoke in Abuja where hundreds of students from secondary and higher education centres of learning gathered recently inside Baze University for the ngTeen CyberFest 2023 hosted by Child Cyber Protection (CCPro) with the support of stakeholders that include the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Baze University, Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), National Orientation Agency (NOA). Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Knowhow Media and Market Intelligence International (KMMIIL) and the UNICCON Group of Companies among others.
The theme of this year focused on ‘Promoting Young People & the Power of Innovation in a Digital Economy’ and allowed participating students the opportunity to interact with subject-matter experts, and industry leaders from the public and private sectors.
In her presentation, Former First Lady of Imo State and Founder/CEO, Women of Divine Destiny Initiative (WODDI), Mrs Nneoma Nkechi Rochas Okorocha, extolled young people to remain focused on being productive and harnessing positive opportunities that come that way particularly those online.
The Internet is now a game changer and a formidable determinant in how young people and the larger society are shaped. Mrs Okorocha argued that it has become imperative to leverage the internet in positive way for real growth.
Director Genera, NITDA, Kachifu Inuwa Abdullahi, noted that understanding online security is not just important for young people but essential to fuelling innovation due to the increasing level of dependence on the internet in carrying out daily activities.
He said cybersecurity awareness has become essential for young people to meaningfully explore the internet.
His words: “We really must include cybersecurity and digital literacy in our curricula. Not only should young people learn how to code, but also how to keep themselves and their work safe online,” the NITDA boss stressed. He was represented by Mohammed Kabiru of the agency’s Cybersecurity Department.”
CEO of nHub, Theodore Longji, who is currently the director of ecosystem at the Innovation Support Network (ISN), commended the C-CPro team for emphasizing the dangers of the internet space and why awareness has become critical to ensure young people do not become fall victims to cybercriminals while exploring the immense opportunities for personal development and other things online.
He told the audience that technology has given them voice adding that technology is an enabler that levels the encumbrances that comes with achieving and being the best that they can.
“The ngTeen CyberFest 23 is a wonderful initiative by C-CPro and I have been in the picture of how C-CPro started and like I said in my small talk, we cannot all be doing the same thing. There are those who should be creating awareness, and that is exactly what C-CPro is doing. It is a good thing to engage these young ones in skill building but we do not have much time to bring people up to speed about the dangers in the aspect of cyber safety and the internet generally,” said Longji during an interaction with IT Edge News.
The Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr. Garba Abari, expressed similar position. He said the NOA is opened to working with stakeholders to raise a national consciousness on issues of national interests including security of personal data and online safety among others.
Dr Abari said initiatives on online awareness and security by the CCPro requires strategic support and that underscores why the NOA has agreed to work with the CCPro to promote awareness on online safety among young Nigerians.
The NOA boss, who was represented by his Special Assistant and a director at the NOA, Mr. David Akoji, stressed the need for stakeholders to rally round the theme of promoting healthy use of the internet among Nigeria’s youngest population most inclined to the use of technology.
For the Chairman, Uniccon Group of Companies, Chuks Ekwueme, young people \are not just the future of technology but the singular determining factor on where innovative and emerging technologies are headed.
The Uniccon Group carried out series of demos on some of their home-grown technologies including drones and VR [virtual reality] and encouraged the students to experience the power of VR.
“You are the most formidable reasons for why technology will continue to flourish,” said Ekwueme, who was represented by Cyber Security Analyst, Uniccon Group, Rotimi Willaims.
