Google Nigeria, and IGHUB, a technology-based outfit, on Saturday, organised a capacity building seminar to train Abia teachers on online safety in Aba.
IGHUB’s CEO, Daniel Chinagozi, said the training would ensure that the teachers were educated on the need for Online Safety and Security in order to pass the knowledge to their pupils and students.
Chinagozi said the first session of the training involved teachers from three Local Government Areas: Osisioma, Aba North and Aba South of the state.
He noted that the project would also be extended to the other 14 local government areas of Abia in the coming weeks.
Mr Edward Esene, Team member of IGHUB, who handled one of the sessions, said that teachers were very important in moulding societies.
Esene said their importance to society was the reason for the capacity building seminar entitled: “Online Safety for Teachers” through which they could learn and in turn teach their students.
He said the internet was full of dangers such as open access to pornographic sites, betting, gaming and other sites that might hurt young people if not guided.
According to him, the dangers on the internet necessitated the education of internet users which has a larger number of children and the youth.
Earlier, Abia Commissioner for Education, Dr Kelechi Nwangwa, said that education was a very important tool for building a great society.
He said that teachers were the only professionals with a reward and wages as well because their offsprings enjoyed and progressed through their intellectual capacity.
Nwangwa said the title of the seminar suggested that the internet had dangers users needed to be aware of and be protected from hence the need for the training.
The commissioner was represented by Mr Christopher Osuagwu, Deputy Executive Secretary, Secondary Schools Education Board (SEMB), Aba.
Participants at the seminar expressed happiness that Google, Public and Private Development Centre, Digital Inclusion and Safer Internet, WEB Rangers and the state government’s partnership with IGHUB gave them the opportunity.
One of the teachers who participated at the seminar, Mr Charles Ononiwu, noted that the training could be improved to enable the participants to master the lessons and teach the children.
Ms Angela Ndubuisi and Mr Arisa Steve thanked the organisers for the seminar but also asked that the training engaged the teachers deeper into internet activities that formed part of the curriculum.
