E-Business
Stemming The Tide Of Cyberbullying
In spite of the significant improvement benefits associated with these innovations, there are still some fears that hss come with the emergence of the internet.
One of the adverse effects that has emerged with the coming of the internet is cyberbullying. This is a serious trend that has brought fears inti the hearts of parents, the world over.
Studies have shown that cyberbullying is the greatest fear of parents when their kids make use of the internet.
This is true, when you consider the growing prevalence of digital technologies in schools.
The Internet, smartphones and tablets are now the primary tools in the exhibition of bullying behavior.
With the unlimited access to the internet through smart devices by of teens and kids of this present age, the negative surge of cyberbullying is believed to have surpassed kidnapping as the number one fear globally.
In simple terms, cyberbullying occurs when someone appears to be tormenting, threatening, harassing, or embarrassing a young person, using smart devices or technologies.
In other words, cyberbullying comes in different forms, such as harassment, flaming, masquerading, etc.
Some ways in which cyberbullies operate include creating fake profiles of someone or impersonating another person with the negative intent of harming someone’s reputation.
In some other cases, you share a private photo or a private message with someone, and you see that confidential stuff being spread all over the internet. From where the leak came from, you do not know.
Why Cyberbullying Should Be Fought
It is necessary for us to fight cyber bullying yo a standstill to avert the negative implications of this surge are enormous.
Just think of the physical bullying, for instance, your kid goes to school everyday, and he is being bullied.
You realize that such kid becomes reluctant to go to school again, whenever he remembers that one teacher or another student who is a bully is waiting to harrass him in school.
Besides being unwilling to go to school again, such child is psychologically troubled. The emotional and psychological effects of cyberbullying are similar to those of real-life bullying.
Aside from this, such a kid can experience negative physical and mental health issues.
Kids who are bullied are more likely to experience depression, anxiety, feelings of sadness, loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, etc.
Studies also show that adults who were bullied as a youth were three times more likely to have suicidal thoughts or inclinations.
According to findings from the “2016 Norton Cyber Security Insights Report: Family Edition, “nearly 57 percent of parents choose to check their child’s browser history, 46 percent only allow access to certain websites, 48 percent allow internet access only with parental supervision”.
“A concern for many parents is that cyberbullying doesn’t stop when their child leaves school as long as your child is connected to a device, a bully can connect to them,” said Ritesh Chopra, Country Manager, Norton by Symantec.
“Nearly one in three parents of children ages 12-17 agree that bullying is a more serious concern than other dangers, including domestic terrorism, car accidents, and suicide”, according to a national survey commissioned by Care.com.
What Parents Should Do
Interestingly, when a child is in trouble, the parents are usually the last to be aware. Kids find it tough to open up to their parents when they are bullied online.
Some of them fear that revealing to their parents about their situation will exacerbate the issue. It, therefore, becomes a herculean task for parents to protect their children if you don’t understand the problem in the first instance.
In this wise, therefore, below are some tips that parents should adopted in preventing the surge of cyberbullying.
Monitor Your Kids Activities Online
It is pertinent for you to know what your kids are doing online. Most of the time, some of these kids spend time on social media such as Facebook, so you need, as a parent, have an understanding of how various social networking websites work.
You can sometimes ask your children for their Facebook status updates, profile pages or Facebook wall. From there, you can have an idea of what is going on.
Build Trust Between You and Your Kids
It does not help at all, to be harsh to your children in situations that requires being relaxed and gentle.
When you are known for being harsh, your kids become too scared to open up to you on issues like cyberbullying when they find themselves entangled with it online.
You should always make them feel very relaxed and try ti have discussions regularly with your children about online issues. You need to let them have confidence in you by telling them to come to you for help if anything is wrong with them.
Let your kids understand the risks associated with the internet. Discuss rules for online safety and Internet use with them. Set time limits of how long they should spend on social media or the internet for them and ensure that they follow it to the letter.
Avoid Blaming your Child for Falling Victim of Cyberbullying
When your child is bullied online, relax abd do not raise to much dust by blaming your child.
At that point, what your child needs is for you to be supportive and as show understanding. You need to investigate to figure out how long this has been happening and ensure that you work together with your kid to devise a solution to stem it instead of blaming your child.
Conclusion
Apart from knowing what your kid is doing online, you need to also let your kid in on that good old advice that as you are careful of dealing with strangers in real life, so also, they must be careful dealing with strangers online.
National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) yesterday said that it has mandated security agencies to arrest and prosecute Nigerians printing what it described as ‘NIN cards’ ahead of its planned General Multipurpose Card (GMPC).
NIMC in a statement by Kayode Adegoke, head, Corporate Communications Unit, reiterated that the NIN slip is the only legal document authorized as a means of identification.
NIMC said it has observed that “some unscrupulous individuals, cyber cafes, and organizations” are indiscriminately printing unauthorized NIN cards and charging unsuspecting members of the public exorbitant fees.
Such activities, it warned, are a direct violation of the NIMC Act No. 23 of 2007.
NIMC urged the public and organizations to refrain from printing or accepting these unauthorized cards, emphasising that they are not legally recognised.
On no account should these counterfeit NIN cards be presented as valid means of identification.
The security agencies have been notified and mandated to apprehend those involved, with offenders set to face legal consequences.
The commission reaffirmed that the only valid document for identification is the NIN slip, which must be verified before accessing services.
To address public demand, NIMC has concluded plans to launch the Improved GMPC, a multifunctional card serving as both a physical identification document and a payment card, powered by the AfriGO local payment platform.
By Kehinde Ogundare, Country Head, Zoho Nigeria
Nigeria’s entrepreneurial spirit is undeniable. Amidst a dynamic and competitive market, businesses are brimming with potential, poised to become regional and even global powerhouses. However, realising this potential requires navigating a challenging landscape—one marked by limited IT resources, complex operational hurdles, and the inertia of traditional business practices. For Nigerian businesses, the path to sustainable growth lies in digital transformation, with cloud-based technologies serving as a key enabler.
With a burgeoning middle class and a tech-savvy population, Nigeria offers fertile ground for innovation and expansion. Yet, many businesses remain tethered to manual processes, limiting their ability to scale and compete effectively. This is where cloud technology and comprehensive digital toolsets become indispensable.
The need for digital transformation
Traditional growth models lack the agility needed to keep pace with an evolving market. Manual processes lead to inefficiencies, limited data insights hinder informed decision-making, and restricted IT resources stifle innovation. To overcome these hurdles, businesses must adopt digital tools that streamline operations, automate workflows, and provide actionable insights.
Digital transformation isn’t about adopting technology for its own sake—it’s about scaling efficiently. In today’s digital economy, scaling is critical for businesses seeking to expand their market reach, remain competitive, and meet evolving customer demands. Digital tools enable businesses to amplify their impact, drive revenue growth, and optimise costs, ensuring long-term sustainability.
The power of cloud-based solutions
Cloud-based platforms eliminate the need for costly infrastructure investments, offering businesses access to cutting-edge technology on a flexible, scalable basis. By automating repetitive tasks, streamlining workflows, and enhancing productivity, these platforms free up valuable resources, allowing businesses to focus on strategy and customer engagement.
An integrated SaaS platform offers a unified ecosystem to manage all facets of a business. By providing a centralised suite of applications, it automates workflows, reduces manual data entry, and improves team collaboration. Businesses can reduce operational costs and accelerate decision-making, ultimately enabling faster expansion into new markets.
With Zoho software, the emphasis is on contextual intelligence, leveraging AI to provide genuine customer value. In a market where customer experience is paramount, Zoho’s AI-powered insights enable businesses to personalise interactions, anticipate needs, and strengthen customer relationships. Zoho’s unwavering commitment to customer privacy also ensures that businesses can leverage data responsibly, fostering trust and long-term loyalty.
A holistic approach to business growth
Zoho’s philosophy of optimising the entire technology stack—from hardware to software—ensures seamless integration and optimal performance. This holistic approach translates into better technology for Nigerian businesses, enabling them to focus on their core competencies without being weighed down by technical complexities.
For Nigerian businesses, digital transformation is no longer optional—it’s a necessity. By embracing cloud-based technology, they can overcome traditional growth barriers, scale efficiently, and unlock their full potential.
The future of Nigerian business is digital. By adopting the cloud, businesses can transform challenges into opportunities, paving the way for sustainable growth in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.
All communities in Abia State are to be connected to Internet Service within the next 9 months, according to Dr. Alex Otti, state governor.
All communities in Abia State are to be connected to Internet Service within the next 9 months, according to Dr. Alex Otti, state governor.
Otti stated this at the Nnamdi Azikiwe State Secretariat premises at Umuahia, the state capital, while flagging off the first phase of the Umuahia Dedicated Internet Access/Wide Area Network And Managed Network Services Project (Project), saying that it promises to re-engineer efficiency and flexibility in operations and interactions within and amongst institutions, enhance policy execution, and engender a culture of outcome-oriented competition amongst civil servants.
The Project is being handled by iPNX, a major internet service provider.
At the ceremony, Otti, said the project includes distributing high-performance digital tools, laying fibre optic cables in public institutions, and installing infrastructure for high-speed data transmission.
He added that the initiative focuses on improving leadership efficiency, empowering civil servants with digital tools, and enhancing service delivery.
Transitioning to digital platforms would streamline government processes, enable faster communication among Ministries, departments, and Areas (MDAs), and improve engagement with development partners and the global community.
The governor also announced a mandatory digital literacy requirement for civil servants, making proficiency in technology essential for career growth.
Assuring that while the government would provide training, those unwilling to embrace technology risk becoming uncompetitive in the evolving civil service structure.
Plans are underway to expand digital access across Abia, with an agreement already in place to lay fiber optic cables in Aba, Umuahia, and Ohafia.
Otti directed Mr. Gerald Ilukwe, chief information officer to ensure that within nine months, every community in Abia must have reliable network service, enabling businesses to thrive virtually.
The Governor urged the people of Abia to embrace technology as a tool for empowerment rather than a replacement for human roles as the use of technology ought to be on enhancing service delivery and economic development, as well as keeping human decision-making at the core of governance.
The commencement of the initiative marks a major milestone in Abia’s journey towards a fully digital economy.
Ilukwe, described the project as a critical foundation for a digital government, emphasising its role in modernising service delivery.
Ilukwe said Phase I of the initiative prioritises multi-tenant buildings and complexes housing multiple MDAs and assured that MDAs not included in this phase would be covered in subsequent stages.
“Even as we are rounding off this phase, we are already preparing for the next, by the end of this service year, the entire government offices in Umuahia will be interconnected on a single network,” Ilukwe said.
Mr Ejovi Aror, group managing director, ipNX, expressed gratitude to Gov. Alex Otti for the opportunity to be part of the state’s digital transformation journey.
“This partnership signals the beginning of a new chapter in the journey towards building a digitally connected, technologically advanced, and economically empowered Abia State,” Aror said.
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