National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening youth online safety and digital literacy through strategic collaboration with Meta, as part of broader efforts to build a digitally inclusive economy and enhance trust in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

Group photo of Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande (left), Head of Public Policy, Anglophone West Africa Connectivity and Innovation Policy Manager, Meta Africa, Mrs Sola Dada (middle) and DG NITDA’s rep, Ag. Director, DLCB department, Dr Ahmed Tambuwal at the event

This commitment was reiterated by the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, during the Youth Safety Summit organised by Meta at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.

The Summit convened stakeholders from government, industry, civil society organisations, and the education sector to advance collaborative efforts aimed at ensuring young Nigerians enjoy safe, age-appropriate, and positive online experiences.

A major highlight of the event was the launch of the Youth Online Safety Campaign and My Digital World (MDW) 2.0, initiatives developed by Meta in partnership with NITDA and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development.

Represented by the Acting Director of Digital Literacy and Capacity Building Department, Dr Ahmed Tambuwal, the NITDA DG noted that the Agency’s collaboration with Meta aligns strongly with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly the priority areas of Reforming the Economy for Sustained Inclusive Growth and Strengthening National Security through robust cybersecurity measures that enhance digital trust and confidence.

He explained that building a digitally skilled population capable of safely navigating the online environment is fundamental to unlocking innovation, entrepreneurship, job creation, and economic opportunities in the digital age.

Speaking on the significance of the Summit’s theme, “Advancing Youth Online Safety Through Collaborative Action,” Inuwa stressed that protecting young people online requires collective responsibility from all stakeholders.

“Today’s theme is both timely and compelling. It reminds us that while digital technologies have created unprecedented opportunities for learning, innovation, entrepreneurship, and social connection, ensuring that young people can benefit from these opportunities safely is a shared responsibility,” he said.

The DG emphasised that digital literacy cannot be separated from online safety, noting that the ability to use digital tools must be accompanied by the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the digital space responsibly.

“At NITDA, we believe that digital literacy and online safety are inseparable. Equipping citizens with digital skills without teaching them how to navigate the digital world safely, responsibly, and ethically would leave our work incomplete,” he stated.

According to him, this philosophy is embedded in NITDA’s National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF) and the Agency’s flagship Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) initiative, through which it aims to achieve 70 per cent digital literacy by 2027 and 95 per cent by 2030.

He further disclosed that online safety, digital citizenship, privacy, digital wellbeing, critical thinking, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy have become core competencies within the framework.

“Within this framework, online safety, digital citizenship, privacy, digital wellbeing, critical thinking and, increasingly, Artificial Intelligence literacy are treated not as optional topics, but as essential competencies for every Nigerian,“ he noted.

The DG highlighted the growing partnership between NITDA and Meta, describing it as a model for effective public-private collaboration in driving Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.

Over the past year, both organisations jointly implemented the Youth Online Safety and Wellbeing Campaign, which reached more than 94 million people and generated over 216 million impressions across Facebook and Instagram. The campaign provided millions of Nigerians with practical guidance on online safety, privacy protection, digital wellbeing, and responsible internet use.

The partnership also extended to activities marking Safer Internet Day, where members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) were engaged and empowered to become advocates of responsible digital behaviour within their communities. More recently, both organisations reaffirmed their commitment to advancing Nigeria’s digital economy through innovation and inclusion at the Nigeria Digital Economy Forum.

While expressing optimism about the launch of My Digital World 2.0 and describing it as a strategic platform, Inuwa said, “We believe MDW 2.0 presents an excellent opportunity to institutionalise online safety education within Nigeria’s broader digital literacy ecosystem.”

He revealed that NITDA intends to integrate the programme into its teacher capacity-building initiatives, strengthen the resources available to its nationwide network of Digital Literacy Champions, and expand awareness campaigns through partnerships with state governments, traditional institutions, faith-based organisations, and community stakeholders.

According to him, ensuring children’s safety online requires more than secure platforms; it requires informed families, empowered educators, and digitally aware communities.

“Our shared ambition should be to ensure that every Nigerian child is supported not only by safer digital platforms, but also by informed parents, empowered teachers, and digitally confident communities,” he remarked.

Describing the launch as a significant step forward, Inuwa said the initiative marks the beginning of a deeper partnership between government and industry aimed at preparing a new generation of Nigerians for the digital future.

“Today’s launch is more than the unveiling of another programme. It is the beginning of a deeper strategic collaboration between government and industry to build a generation of Nigerians who are digitally skilled, digitally responsible, and digitally resilient,“ he stated.

He reaffirmed NITDA’s commitment to working with Meta and other stakeholders to build a secure and inclusive digital ecosystem where innovation thrives, opportunities are accessible to all, and every Nigerian can participate confidently in the digital economy.

Also present at the event were the Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, and the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim. Both ministers reaffirmed their ministries’ commitment to collaborating with relevant stakeholders to develop and implement policies that foster a safe, inclusive, and enabling digital environment, particularly for young Nigerians, to navigate the internet responsibly and securely.

If there is one thing that brings everyone together across the country, it is the beautiful game of football. The energy is always on a different level. From the passionate debates in local viewing centers to the excitement shared across social media, football is more than just a sport for us—it’s a major part of how we connect and share moments with friends and family.

Google and Gemini

As the FIFA World Cup 2026™ kicks off across North America, the excitement is already building up everywhere. But let’s be honest: life moves fast, and keeping up with every single goal and update can feel like a full-time job. You don’t want to be the one asking for the score long after the game is over.

The good news is that technology has made it easier than ever to stay in the loop. Google and Gemini have introduced some very useful tools to bring you right into the heart of the action, whether you’re a serious analyst or just here for the fun. From pinning live scores to your phone screen to using AI to see yourself as a pro player, here are 6 ways to experience the World Cup like a boss.

1. Get Match Updates “Sharp-Sharp” on Your Screen

We’ve all been in that situation where we are busy with other things but dying to know the latest score. You don’t need to keep searching and refreshing heavy pages that drain your data. Now, when you search for soccer, it’s much faster to see real-time information about the game, including visuals for live scores, lineups, and current standings.

The best part is the pinning feature. You can actually pin a match’s live score directly to your Android or iOS device’s lock screen just by following that match or team. This means you can see the score at a glance without even needing to unlock your phone. You’ll even get updates before the match starts and after it ends.

How to set it up: Search for your favorite team or a specific match on Google and tap the option to “follow” them. This pins the score to your lock screen so you get updates automatically before and after each game.

2. Settle the Arguments with AI

Arguments about football rules or player stats are a huge part of the fun. Instead of going back and forth with friends, let AI Mode in Search give you the facts. You can use AI Mode for all sorts of things, from asking complex questions about specific rules to finding deep details about players and teams.

If you’re trying to understand a coach’s strategy, you can ask AI Mode to create an interactive visual for you—for instance, a breakdown of soccer formations and when a coach might use them. While these interactive features are for Pro and Ultra subscribers now, they will be free for everyone in Search by the summer.

How to use it: Open Google Search and type your deep football questions directly into the prompt bar. You can then specifically ask it to “create an interactive visual” to help explain things like team formations.

3. Find the Perfect Place to Watch with “Ask Maps”

Sometimes the best way to watch a match is at a viewing party with other fans. If you’re looking for a great spot to join the fun, the Ask Maps feature is here to help. You can just type something like, “Find me a reservation for 4 at 7:30 p.m., somewhere I can watch the World Cup match and meet other fans.”

To help you get there on time, Google Maps and Waze provide the latest information on road closures and transit routes so you can navigate the games with confidence. Also, for the first time on Waze, you can see live score updates at a glance whenever your car is at a stop.

How to use it: In the Google Maps app, use the “Ask Maps” feature to request a reservation at a place specifically for watching the match. If you are driving with Waze, simply bring your car to a stop to see live scores on your dashboard.

4. Catch Up on the Latest Gist Every Morning

For those who can’t stay up late to watch every game, there’s a perfect way to wake up to the news. If you have a Gemini Plus, Pro, or Ultra subscription, you can use Scheduled Actions to receive a daily summary of international soccer news.

This summary is completely tailored to you. You can customize the briefing to focus only on your favorite teams and players, and choose exactly when you want it delivered.

How to set it up: Open Gemini Settings, tap “Scheduled actions,” and select the soccer news digest template. Customize it with your team names and your preferred time to receive your summary every day.

5. Become the Star of Your Own Match Photos

Ever wondered what you would look like as a professional football star? The new Nano Banana templates in the Gemini app let you put yourself right into the action. You just upload a photo of yourself to these custom scenes, and you can see yourself celebrating in a massive stadium or making a hero’s diving goal-line save.

The generated image will even show you wearing your country’s colors or the official jersey. These fun templates are rolling out in the “Images” tab in Gemini.

How to use it: In the Gemini app, go to the “Images” tab, tap the “+” icon, and click “Create image.” Upload your photo to one of the custom soccer scenes to see yourself repped in the official jersey.

6. Get the Full Match Experience in One Place

Finally, Gemini can now act as your personal dashboard for the entire tournament. The app references live match information and news to give you the latest scores, highlights, and standings as they happen.

For many topics, Gemini goes beyond just text by creating visual elements like stats, images, and videos. This transforms a simple response into a dynamic “Matchday Hub” where you can see all the action at once.

How to use it: Ask Gemini for a match update or current standings to automatically open your “Matchday Hub.” The app will immediately show you a mix of live scores, highlights, and stats for the game you asked about.

The World Cup is all about sharing the excitement, and with these Google and Gemini tools, you won’t miss a beat. Whether you’re pinning live scores to your screen or seeing yourself in the official jersey, there’s a tool for every fan. Set up your updates, grab your friends, and get ready for a month of pure football magic. No stress, just vibes!

Airtel Africa Foundation, through Airtel Nigeria, has launched the Airtel Green Schools initiative, a sustainability-focused programme designed to create environmental learning spaces in primary and secondary schools.

The spaces, which are branded Airtel Garden, have been introduced as part of Airtel Nigeria’s activities to commemorate the 2026 World Environment Day, themed “Climate Action”.

According to Airtel Nigeria’s schedule, the company’s 10 adopted schools, located in nine states across country’s six geopolitical zones, have been onboarded as Green Schools.

Each of the schools now features an Airtel Garden, with dedicated sections for edible crops, fruit trees and shade trees, enabling pupils to learn firsthand about food cultivation, biodiversity and the importance of increasing green cover to help mitigate the effects of climate change.

The gardens also incorporate composting stations where organic waste generated within the school environment can be converted into nutrient-rich compost. To boost circular economy practices, plastic recycling segments have also been built in to repurpose common wastes such as plastic bottles and tyres.

The beneficiary schools of the programme include St. George’s Nursery and Primary School, Ipaja, Lagos; Yahaya Primary School, Zaria; Iyeru-Okin Primary School, Iyeru-Okin, Kwara; St. John Primary School, Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State, and Community Primary School, Amumara, Imo State.

Others are Presbyterian Primary School, Ediba, Cross-River; Migrant Farmers Community Primary School, Umuahia, Abia State; Gwange III Primary School, Maiduguri, Borno State; Mayflower Secondary School, Ikenne, Ogun State; and Government Day Primary School, Gombe State.

Segun Ogusanya, Chairman of the Airtel Africa Foundation, highlighted the developmental focus of Airtel Garden. “We are excited to inaugurate Airtel Green Schools, which are designed to go beyond awareness and create real behavioural change within Nigeria’s school communities.

“Through the Restore, Reduce and Educate pillars, we are equipping young people with practical tools such as gardens, recycling awareness, and environmental learning resources.

2Our goal is to create a replicable Green School model that can be scaled and sustained over time, ensuring that environmental education becomes part of everyday learning for the children in our adopted schools,” he said.

A key feature of the launch programme is the signature “Read, Engage, Plant” experience, an immersive environmental learning model that combines storytelling, practical engagement and environmental action.

At the launch, Airtel staff from the Employee Volunteer Programme (EVP) led pupils of the adopted schools in the reading “Jojo and Jade, Heroes of Mother Earth” before joining in interactive environmental activities such as crop planting. The programme also featured a recitation of the climate action pledge and the inauguration of Airtel Garden Eco Club.

Speaking on the flag-off of Airtel Green Schools and Airtel Garden, the Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Dinesh Balsingh, said, “Climate action becomes meaningful when awareness is translated into action.

“Through the Airtel Garden, we are creating living classrooms where pupils can learn practical lessons about environmental stewardship, sustainable agriculture, waste management and the importance of protecting our planet. We believe that empowering young people with these experiences today will help shape a more environmentally responsible generation tomorrow.”

The Airtel Green Schools campaign is built on the telecom giant’s sustainability theme of Reuse, Educate, and Restore. Through tree planting and garden development, the programme seeks to establish green spaces within school communities while promoting waste reduction and responsible environmental practices via composting and plastic recycling.