The Webinar Commenced by 11:00am
Attendance:
The session opened with a brief introduction of the stakeholders by Abdulrazaq Imam, Programs Officer of the Ndukwe Kalu Foundation (NKF). Present were:
- Moderator: Busayo Balogun, Head, Corporate Services, Nigerian Internet Registration Association (NiRA)
- Speaker I: Engr. Kunle Olorundare, President, Internet Society (ISOC), Nigerian Chapter
- Speaker II: Ohahuru-Obiora Juliet, Founder and Program Coordinator, Action Against Child Sexual Abuse Initiative (ACSAI)
- Speaker III: Ibukunoluwa Owa, Assistant Manager, Legal Enforcement and Regulation (NDPC)
NKF Chairperson Mrs. Mary Uduma, Executive Secretary Erica Okibe, Programs Officer Abdulrazaq Imam, other NKF team members, and about 23 participants from across the country were also in attendance.
Introductory Remarks:
Abdulrazaq Imam highlighted that the first webinar focused on digital literacy, specifically following discussions from the COSPRA Summit 2023. This second session focused on the recommendations from the Summit and the progress made by stakeholders. Imam then handed over to Executive Secretary Erica Okibe for the opening remarks.
Opening Remarks:
Erica Okibe welcomed all participants, especially the speakers and the NKF Chairperson. She reiterated the Foundation’s commitment to online child protection and underscored that Child Online Safety Protection and Reporting of Abuse (COSPRA) is a core area of NKF’s focus. She stressed the importance of reshaping the digital environment to ensure children’s online safety, emphasizing that protecting children online is not just a priority but a necessity. She thanked stakeholders for their commitment and promised an engaging discussion. She then welcomed the NKF Chairperson, Mrs. Mary Uduma.
Welcome Address:
Mrs. Mary Uduma, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of NKF, thanked everyone for their participation. She explained that NKF, as a CSR arm of NiRA, works to advocate for child online protection, ICT, and DNS research. She expressed concerns over the rising incidents of online child abuse in Nigeria and across the world, calling for action-driven approaches to address these growing challenges. Mrs. Uduma encouraged participants to passionately implement the COSPRA recommendations to curb online child abuse and expressed hope that this webinar would result in actionable outcomes.
Furthermore, Mrs Uduma referenced a speech by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, at the Clinton Global Initiative Summit in New York, where he highlighted the increasing dangers children face, particularly the growing instances of online abuse on social media.
Discussion of COSPRA 2023 Recommendations:
The moderator, Busayo Balogun commenced by expressing her appreciation to NKF Chairperson Mrs. Mary Uduma for her passionate opening remarks, as well as to Executive Secretary Erica Okibe and all participants. She emphasized the importance of the day’s discussions, which were centered on the recommendations from the COSPRA 2023 Summit. Balogun highlighted the critical need for these recommendations to be implemented, stressing the importance of collaboration among all stakeholders, with a particular focus on government involvement in policy execution. Following these remarks, she introduced the first speaker, Engr. Kunle Olorundare, President of the Internet Society (ISOC) Nigerian Chapter.
First Speaker: Engr. Kunle Olorundare (ISOC Nigeria)
Engr. Olorundare discussed the increasing availability of the internet through smartphones, often given to children by parents with good intentions but without enough consideration for online safety. He highlighted ISOC’s efforts to promote safe internet use through initiatives such as Safer Internet Day (SID), which educates both students and teachers on responsible internet usage. He also emphasized the importance of cascading ethical internet practices from teachers to students and shared the success of a recent teacher-training program in Jos, Plateau State.
In response to a question from John Onuh, an educator, Engr. Olorundare addressed the restrictive policy on students’ smartphone use. He explained that ISOC Nigeria is working on advocating for policy change while simultaneously training teachers and guardians on responsible internet use.
Second Speaker: Ohahuru-Obiora Juliet (ACSAI)
Ohahuru-Obiora Juliet introduced her organization’s work on tackling child online sexual exploitation and abuse. She discussed In-Hope, a global hotline network that ACSAI is part of, which helps remove harmful online content and report abuses. ACSAI also focuses on capacity-building programs for teachers, parents, and students, and runs peer-to-peer awareness programs like Safe Hub Clubs in schools. Juliet emphasized that collaboration across sectors is critical for ensuring child online safety, and shared plans to establish Safe Internet Centers for reporting and addressing child online sexual abuse cases.
In response to a question from the moderator, Juliet explained that ACSAI provides various forms of assistance to children facing online bullying or abuse, including reporting hotlines, awareness programs, and peer support systems.
Third Speaker: Ibukunoluwa Owa (NDPC)
Ibukunoluwa Owa approached the issue from a legal perspective, emphasizing the need for more comprehensive child protection policies in the digital age. She referenced several existing laws, including the Child Rights Act, the Cyber Crimes Act, and the Nigeria Data Protection Act, which offers provisions for safeguarding children’s online privacy and security. Owa also discussed NDPC’s collaboration with other stakeholders to ensure that internet service providers implement adequate technical controls for protecting children’s data.
She concluded by reaffirming NDPC’s commitment to working with stakeholders to improve the implementation of child protection policies and laws.
Contributions from Participants:
Several participants shared their thoughts, including:
- Douglas Ameh: He urged parents to closely monitor their children’s internet use and encouraged awareness campaigns, especially targeting uneducated parents.
- Dr. Nnenna Kalu (NKF Trustee): She called for more parental awareness regarding the risk children face both online and offline, emphasizing that many parents are unaware of the dangers their children encounter, even within the home.
Conclusions:
The moderator, Busayo Balogun thanked all the speakers for their insightful presentations and commended participants for their valuable contributions. NKF Program Officer Abdulrazaq Imam closed the session, stressing the importance of implementation to achieve meaningful results and impact. The webinar officially concluded at 1:10 PM.
Statistics Record of Attendance
| Stakeholder (Speakers) | Participants | NKF Team | NKF Chairperson and Trustee | |
| Male | 1 | An average of 23 | 2 | |
| Female | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
| Total | 4 | 23 | 4 | 2 |
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