As part of global discussions aimed at ensuring safer internet usage for children, Prof. Hauwa Ibrahim, an international human rights lawyer and President of the Peace Institute, has urged the Federal Government and parents to take urgent action to protect Nigerian children in cyberspace.
Ibrahim made this call while delivering the Keynote Address at the 2024 annual summit of the Women Community in Africa (WCA) held on Thursday in Abuja. The summit, themed “Cyber Safety: Empowering Families in the Digital Age,” seeks to unite policymakers, parents, caregivers, educators, and other stakeholders in creating a safer online environment for Nigerian children.
During her speech titled “Cyber Safety at Home: Empowering Families with Digital Literacy,” Ibrahim emphasized that as Nigeria embraces the opportunities offered by the digital age, the safety and well-being of children must be prioritized by the government, policymakers, and parents alike. She highlighted the increasing risks children face online and called for the implementation of regulations on social media platforms due to a rise in online vices and abuses.
Ibrahim commended the WCA for its initiative in promoting a safe cyberspace for families and noted the significance of student participation in the summit. She stated, “There are more students in the hall, and that means good impact in terms of the objective of the summit today. When you have the younger ones participate, it means a bright future for us, and it is that future that I’m interested in terms of the cyberspace.”
She also emphasized the importance of including parents and families in discussions about cyber safety, stating, “The government is made by the people for the people and for the benefit of our society. The first thing I will suggest is effective regulation by government, where there is limited access to children about what they can watch.”
In her concluding remarks, Ibrahim urged the government to establish regulations to control Internet service providers, drawing attention to the fact that many technology creators restrict their own children from using the very platforms they develop. “Why should we, picking it from the streets, allow our children to use it?” she questioned, highlighting the need for protective measures to ensure the safety of children in the digital landscape
