Google, the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) and the Nigerian Educational Research & Development Council (NERDC) have announced two online safety initiatives.
This was announced on Tuesday in Abuja while they celebrated safer internet day.
According to a press release signed by Mariam Balogun of the Lagos Agency Lead, the initiatives are aimed at amplifying the importance of online safety for everyone, and particularly for younger Nigerians.
The first of the two initiatives will see Google, the PPDC and the NERDC partner to hold simultaneous online safety workshops in 32 Nigerian states.
The partners aim to educate over 100,000 secondary school students on how to stay safe and protected when using the internet through these workshops, which form part of Google’s Web Rangers programme.
This is the first time such an event is being held on such scale in Nigeria. The partners also announced that a Google-developed online safety curriculum is being integrated into Nigeria’s national curriculum over the course of the year.
Google Nigeria policy manager, Seember Nyage, said, “As the internet grows, so does the need for safety, privacy, and security online. Google is, and always has been, committed to helping make the internet safer and more useful for everyone.”
“Through initiatives like our Web Rangers programme, we educate young Nigerians in secondary schools to explore the internet and use our Google products safely. With Family Link, we empower parents to set digital ground rules by managing their Google Accounts, device, and app usage. Family-friendly products, like YouTube Kids, provide a safer online experience for discovery.
Mr Nyage also said apart from the various Google products, they also want to help kids learn how to be safer and more confident explorers of the online world. He said programmes like the partnership with the PPDC and the NERDC will see a Google-designed online safety curriculum integrated into the junior secondary school curriculum across Nigeria.
Nkemdilim Ilo, the Chief Executive Officer of PDDC, said her firm is proud to celebrate Safer Internet Day.
“It is a great opportunity to show the role we can all play in helping to make the internet a safer, more positive place. That’s why for the past four years we have joined Google, government and the rest of the world to celebrate internet safety and to help keep children safe online,” she said.
The secretary of NERDC, Ismail Junaidu, said “We are pleased to be collaborating with Google and PPDC to ensure that Nigerian students are safe as they explore the online world and maximize all the benefits the internet offers. That is why we have embraced the initiative to infuse online safety courses into the national curriculum for Nigerian schools. Safer Internet Day 2019 highlights the evolving challenges and opportunities that are presented to young people online, by calling attention to how the industry, government, and the public can help to provide the critical thinking, knowledge, resilience, and support children need to be safe online.”
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