An edutech organization at the forefront of online safety among Nigeria’s youth population has urged the Federal Government to make safety for internet users a matter of national importance.
The call was made in the organization’s scorecard report on the subject-matter for 2024. In the year under review, Virtually Safe intensified its campaign for a secured online navigation reaching more than 70,000 students across 439 schools in Nigeria.
Underscoring the need to prioritize online safety on a national scale, Isaac Damian Ezirim, Founder, Virtually Safe said, “The state of online safety in Nigeria and the gap in digital literacy demands urgent attention. Digital safety must be a national priority, requiring collaborative action from governments, tech companies, civil society, and educational institutions to create a safer, more inclusive digital space.
“As our digital world evolves, so do the risks—and if left unchecked, these threats will continue to harm individuals, businesses, and society at large. It is a challenge we cannot afford to ignore. However, with proactive education, advocacy, and collaboration, we can build a safer internet for all Nigerians.”
The sustained 2024 campaign by the organization which is backed by Google and Impact Amplifier adopted a wholesome engagement model targeting critical stakeholders including teachers, parents, administrators and policy-makers.
According to the report, “with over 160 million internet users translating to 55.5% of the population, the need for proactive measures to ensure online safety has never been more pressing. Recent findings identified cyberbullying, misinformation, financial scams, online grooming, and data privacy concerns are just a few of the rising risks facing Nigerian internet users.
These threats not only harm individuals but also have far-reaching consequences for businesses and society as a whole. To curb this, the organization embarked on a multi-stakeholder approach through initiatives including teacher trainings, student programmes and digital literacy training, cyberspace conference and Hacktivate innovation for safety programme.
According to the report, action points that will help to create a common secured digital future for all include integrating digital safety education into schools, strengthening cybercrime laws and policy enforcement, empower parents and guardians as well as foster industry and community collaboration.