IT NEWS NIGERIA
IT NEWS NIGERIA:
Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), in partnership with Centre for Cyber Awareness and Development (CECAD) and Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), today led campaign for crime free internet in Nigeria to mark World Safer Internet Day 2018.
Speaking in Lagos, Executive Vice Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta said the Commission will continue to work with relevant stakeholders to ensure that internet is safe for children and youth across the country.
Danbatta, who was represented by Harun Alhassan, Director, New Media and Information Security, said children and young people need to be aware of the risks online and possible harmful activities, adding, NCC is setting up a Sectorial Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) centre that will collaborate with relevant bodies in tackling issues that relate to the telecoms industry in the fight against cybercrime.
He noted that “the centre will be used for Cyber security information sharing for cyber-attacks, threats, malwares and viruses among others and also for training purposes.”
According to him, NCC will continue to partner with relevant bodies like CECAD to discuss proactive measures aimed at making internet safer for children and adults alike and to mitigat cybercrime.
In his opening remarks, President, CECAD, Dr. Bayero Agabi noted that need to protect children online cannot be more urgent than now.
He revealed that “the dangers of uncontrolled internet access for children are enormous just as the benefits are huge and these include cyber bulling, unrestricted access to pornographic sites. Recent studies revealed that every second 28,258 internet users are viewing online pornography. The average age of child’s firsts exposure to pornography is 11 and that a total of 90% of children between the ages of 8-16 have viewed pornography online as pornographers use many character names that appeal to children such as pokeman. Also, 43% of all internet users view pornography online. in every 39 minutes a new pornographic video is being created in the US.”
Bayero, who doubles as vice president of Nigeria Internet Society, further explained that that “because of the vulnerability of children in the cyberspace advocacy groups and government have partnered in various countries to set up the child online protection right with purpose of restricting access by minors to any harmful material which stipulates guidelines for punishment of children online. Countries like UK, US, Canada all have the child online protection law. And in Nigeria, the NCC is engaging stakeholders in the telecoms industry to set up Nigerian child online protection framework.”
He said although there is need for legal framework of social media and freedom of expression. “There must be an ethical use of the Internet and Social Media. Nigerians should avoid hate speech because this tarnish the image of the country abroad and it is capable of causing upheaval and uprising in any country.”
President, NiRA, Rev. Sunday Folayan said internet is a dangerous place and only those aware of the risks browse through unhurt.
He explained that ‘a stranger will be a stranger and he cannot just become a friend instantly. Children need to know the dangers so that they do not fall prey in the internet.”
IT NEWS NIGERIA gathered, according to the stakeholders present, that Nigeria as a country has alot to do to protect it citizens especially the vulnerable young through comprehensive education and awareness campaign especially at a time Cyber criminals are many miles ahead present technologies. Nigeria needs to collaborate with other countries in the area of Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Big Data, Analytics, Cloud, Hackaton, Visualization and cyberspace weaponisation. ICT is a veritable tool for economic development and that, indeed, broadband penetration must be accelerated to speed up access into the cyberspace.
IT NEWS NIGERIA also learned that CECAD is an advocacy, training, public education and development non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) established to promote cyber responsibility by Internet users at the local, regional, national and international levels.
The World Safer Internet Day 2018 Forum drew participation from various sectors of the economy in both public and the private sectors. Some of the organisations and groups represented at the event include NCC), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA), Nigeria Internet Group (NIG) and the media community. Schools present included Princeton College, Surulere, Toklak Group of School and Grace High School, Gbagada. Medallion Communications Limited and other companies were also present.
Cyber Awareness Forum to mark World Safer Internet Day 2018 in Lagos Today
