‘Protect children from online threats’

Dean of the School of Computing, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Prof. Olabode Olatunbosun

The Dean of the School of Computing, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Prof. Olabode Olatunbosun, has urged schools to protect children from cyberbullying, online blackmail and other forms of digital abuse.

Olatunbosun made this call while delivering the keynote address at the grand finale of the Cybersmart Educators Initiative 2.0, organised by Levi Educational Technology and Design Consulting Limited at the University of Lagos, Yaba, on Friday.

Speaking on the theme, “The Stranger Doesn’t Need Your Address Anymore,” the dean said teachers needed to know how to respond when pupils experienced online abuse, misinformation and other cyber-related problems.

He advised teachers to reassure affected pupils, assess whether they faced immediate danger and activate their school safeguarding procedures where necessary.

Olatunbosun said, “Schools should designate personnel to handle complaints and collaborate with relevant authorities, including law enforcement agencies, when a child’s safety is threatened.”

He also emphasised the importance of following up on reported cases to ensure that the abuse did not recur.

Also speaking at the event, the Head of Operations at Levi Educational Technology and Design Consulting, Mrs Naomi Adesola-Zion, said the programme’s theme was intended to draw attention to the dangers digital exposure posed to children, families and schools.

She warned that strangers could exploit personal information shared online to gain access to details about people’s private lives, adding that parents and teachers needed to become more knowledgeable about technology.

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Adesola-Zion urged parents to take an active interest in how their children used mobile phones and other digital devices, stressing that young people needed guidance on using technology responsibly.

“We are not saying children should not use phones. There are age limits to use. But even when they are using it, they should be taught the right ways to use these phones,” she said.

The Head of the Department of Microbiology, University of Lagos, Prof. Olayide Obidi, said, “The young, the old, everyone needs to be cyber-aware. And the earlier we do this, the better for a secure digital future.”

Obidi warned that careless sharing of personal information online could expose users to people monitoring their activities for malicious purposes.

The Chairman of the occasion and Director of the Centre for Digital Humanities, University of Lagos, Tunde Ope-Davies, similarly urged Nigerians to exercise caution when sharing personal and family information online.

“Cybersecurity should not be treated solely as a technical problem, and protecting children also requires an understanding of how technology influences their behaviour, relationships and personal information,” Ope-Davies added.

At the grand finale, three educators emerged as winners of the Cybersmart Teachers’ Award, sharing N3.5m in prize money.

Oluwaseun Oluwasanya won the top prize of N2m, while Okundalaye Abiola Faith received N1m. Ekanem Esther came third, winning N500,000.