NCC CEO, Eugene Juwah
Emma Okonji
Women in Technology in Nigeria (WITIN), an information technology group has concluded plans to organise a day forum aimed at creating awareness on the impact of modern technology among youths and children.
The forum seeks to put parents and guardians on the alert about negative aspects of technology being adopted by youths, with the intention to curb the acceptance of negative aspect of modern technology.
The forum, which comes up in Lagos in October, will exposed the risk factors and vulnerabilities connected with children's use of the Internet.
President of WITIN, Mrs. Martha Alade-Omoekpen, who dropped the hint in Lagos, said: “The world today is shaped by the advancements in the field of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), and its relevance to the development of individuals, organisations, nations and the entire world cannot be contested.”
She said ICT had been acknowledged to be the driving force behind today’s economy while playing a key role in the recent extraordinary economic and human development, adding that the use of ICT innovations by children in the new world of freedom for empowerment has in different ways influenced and to a certain degree also changed roles and processes within child development.
She admitted that despite the noble objectives ICT was known with, it had its negative sides, but explained that the negative sides would come to fore at the forum, which would have in attendance speakers from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
She said the conference with the theme: "ICT and Child Development: Benefits and Challenges”, would have in attendance the Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, and the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr. Eugene Juwah.
Other expected dignitaries expected at the event are the Minister of works, Mike Onolememen and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, Dr. Sam Amadi.
Alade-Omoekpen stressed that WITIN was looking at having close to 350 participants, including, proprietors of schools, parents, civil societies, media and the international community.
Core objectives of the conference, according to her include; helping stakeholders, especially parents, guardians and teachers discover the potentials and impact of technology on a child's development; provide a forum where stakeholders could proffer solutions to issues relating to the adverse effects of children's use of internet; advance strategies to checkmate child online abuse; to understand regulatory framework regarding children's use of the internet and mobile technologies among others.
Issues to be discussed at the conference include; role of mothers in children use of ICT; mobile phones usefulness, risks and myths; bridging the gender digital divide: girls in ICT; ICT for improved healthcare of children, among others.