….. Says 2.2 billion Children Lack Access To Internet Globally,
By Uzoh Mike
A university Don, Prof Chinyere Stella Okunna, has disclosed that about
2.2 billion Children lack access to internet globally, especially the third world countries.
Okunna equally canvassed for the full domestication of the Child Rights Act by all state governments in Nigeria to save children from gross abuses and denial of access to digital space.
In a lead paper presented at the ‘Maiden National Summit on Child Rights’, organized by the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, (NAU), Awka, Anambra state, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today, Prof. Okunna Insisted that it is very essential by the various state government, especially the Northern states, to consider the Childrens’ right Act to protect children against molestation.
While presenting the paper titled, “The Role of the Nigerian Media in bridging the urban-rural divide for Children in Digital Age”, Prof Okunna who is the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Paul University, Awka, in Anambra state, urged the media to join in sensitising parents to give children access to the internet.
She expressed the concern that none domestication of the Child Right Act has contributed immensely to crimes against children, including child trafficking, hawking, under aged girls’ marriage, domestic violence, maids, rape and kidnapping etc.
According to the Prof, the advent of the social media especially the digital media, has improved as well as fastened the disemination and sharing of information about world events, which reaches millions of children people globally.
“Nigerians are waiting for more states to domesticate the Child Rights Act. when domesticated, the Act would go a long way in curbing child kidnappings, rape, child slavery, hawking and domestic violence among other abuses.
“Children must be allowed access to digital information, …Donor Agencies should provide every necessary tools needed to reach the rural children, skills and knowledge.
“Digital technology offers more opportunities and possibilities for children to interact, improve and acquire knowledge about developments in the outside world”, she said.
She explained that the media technology has transformed greatly in the past 7 years, with much advancement in global North including, Europe, America, Canada and Asia, where China has moved beyond the third world.
Earlier, the VC, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, said that today’s concern on Child Rights sprouted from the aversion of the vulnerabilities to which Children were exposed to in Europe during the second World War adding, they included, abduction,rape/sexual violence and recruitment into the Armed forces etc.
“Prompted by the concerns of these abuses, the United Nations focused on the protection, health and general welfare of Children…thus was the International Children Emergency Fund (ICEF) created by United Nations Relief Rehabilitation Administration to cater for the affected Children.
The two-day Summit will continue tomorrow with the Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof Carol Arinze-Umobi, as chief host and the President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Josiah Adam Isigwe as the Chairman.
