Agency calls for forum for kids’ sensitisation on Internet use

The conference whose theme is “ICT and Child Development: Benefits and Challenges,” will spiral around the issue of having policies to safeguard children from negative influence on the World Wide Web.
President of WITIN, Martha Alade-Omoekpen spoke of the objectives of the conference as helping stakeholders who include parents and guardians to realize the potential and impact on technology on children’s development, reports Business Day Online.
The conference also aims to provide a forum where all those concerned can have a fair perspective of the solutions relating to the adverse effects of the Internet use by children.
Attendees will also be sensitised on the regulations that are in place concerning the user of Internet and mobile technology by children.
In June this year, Google unveiled an online checking system to help parents and guardians protect their children from inappropriate contents on the Net. Google in partnership with UNICEF opened a portal in South Africa, named as Online Safety Family Center.
Those expected to grace the occasion include, Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, 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, Sam Amadi.
Online security especially for children has become a global concern. South African company Mobiflock recently embarked on offering solutions to the problem releasing a phone-based software for censoring access to inappropriate sites.
Alade-Omoekpen said the conference expects close to 350 attendees including teachers, parents civil society, media, international community and government representatives. The conference will be held on October 4 in Lagos, Nigeria.