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Nigeria First Lady appointed ITU Child Online Protection champion
Nigeria to host regional cybersecurity centre
Geneva, 22 July 2013 – First Lady of Nigeria Dame Patience
Jonathan was formally appointed Champion for Child Online Protection at a
ceremony in Geneva this morning.
ITU launched the Child Online Protection (COP) initiative in 2008 as part of
the overall thrust to strengthen cybersecurity. It brings together partners from
various sectors to ensure a safe and secure online experience for children
around the world.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Dame Patience Jonathan highlighted the
importance of intervening in the “worrisome challenge of cyberspace insecurity,
especially with regards to our highly vulnerable children”. Noting that children
and youth are among top users of cyberspace and that the future of humanity
depends on them, Dame Patience Jonathan said, “I pledge to join hands with ITU
to secure the children of the world from the dangers of cybercrime.”
“Dame Patience Jonathan has demonstrated deep interest in activities of
children and young people,” ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun I. Touré said,
speaking at the inaugural ceremony. “Under her guidance, the Government of
Nigeria is now taking extensive steps to ensure a safer online environment for
children. ITU is looking forward to collaborating even more closely with Nigeria
to build a better future for our children.”
Dame Patience Jonathan has founded many philanthropic and empowerment
projects for children and women. These include programmes to improve the status
and earning capacity of Nigerian youth and women.
Earlier, the Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of the Nigerian Communications
Commission Mr Eugene Juwah signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ITU to set
up a Regional Cybersecurity Centre in Nigeria. This Regional Centre will
facilitate collaboration on combatting cyber threats at the regional and
national levels—with an emphasis on activities related to protecting children
online.
Mr Anuj Singh, Director of the Global Response Centre of IMPACT, made a
presentation on the COP-X platform designed to share information and resources
on Child Online Protection worldwide. IMPACT – the International Multilateral
Partnership Against Cyber Threats – is the operational home of ITU’s Global
Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA).
The high-level delegation of Nigeria included the Minister of Communication
Technology Ms Omobola Johnson; Minister of Women Affairs Hajia Zainab Maina; and
the Minister of Youth Affairs Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir as well as Senators Helen
Esuene and Esther Nenadi Usman; and Members of the Nigerian House of
Representatives Stella Dorgu and Peace Nnaji.
For more information, please contact:
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Sanjay Acharya
Chief, Media Relations and Public Information
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Photographs of the event are available
here.
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