NCC, others urge Nigerian youths to put internet to good use
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)and other stakeholders have urged the Nigerian youths to maintain a high sense of social responsibility while surfing the internet to ensure the internet remains a safe place for all.
The youths were also tasked to help protect the image of the country by using the social media as a tool to showcase the best of themselves to the world for foreign investment benefits.
This call was made during the week at a Cyber Security Awareness Forum organised by a consortium of three agencies: Centre for Cyber Awareness and Development (CECAD), Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) and the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), in commemoration of this year’s World Safer Internet Day.
The theme for this year, which was “Create, Connect and Share Respect: A better Internet Starts With You,” was tailored to meet the exigency of educating the people on the need to be security conscious by avoiding freebees on the internet as the incidences of cybercrime assumed frightening proportions.
The Director of New Media and Information Security of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mr. Haru Alhassan, reinstated the commitment of NCC to continue to collaborate actively with other agencies and stakeholders in the combat against cybercrimes and the need for Nigerians not to lose guard as far as cyber security was concerned.
Alhassan, who represented the Executive Vice-Chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, said: “The Nigerian Communications Commission as a telecoms regulator in Nigeria is still in the forefront of the Nation’s fight against cybercrimes. The agency has commenced the process of establishing a sectorial computer security incident response team. The centre is to gather information on all cyber threats like malwares, viruses and information from all stakeholders in the fight against cybercrime.”
Also, President of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA), Mr. Sunday Afolayan, urged the youths to rise up to the occasion by maintaining good hygiene on the internet so as not to abuse their futures.
He said: “Don’t make friends with strangers on the internet. A stranger remains a stranger. The easiest way to guarantee our children’s protection online is to preach cyber hygiene. Cyber hygiene teaches you the things that you need to do so as not to fall prey. On the internet you must learn and practice a very good cyber hygiene to ensure the safety of all.”
However, Mr. Afolayan lamented the laxity of regulatory bodies in the midst of the flood of toxic information, from indoor and outdoor advertisement, that kept bombarding the minds of minors in the country.
The Executive Director of Centre for Cyber Awareness and Development (CECAD) Dr. Bayero Agabi, stressed the need to leverage on the humongous opportunities available on the internet for individual and societal advancement.
He said: “It is no longer news that the internet is the biggest planet that we know today. It comes with a lot of opportunities that if we use it appropriately, it can transport us to where we want to be. The internet is a major tool for national development. We need to use the internet in such a way that it develops what we do, especially for the younger ones.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Agabi tasked the government to vigorously champion ‘cyber responsibility’ crusade in Nigeria so as not to chase foreign investors away.
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