General News
(Opinion) How educators can help stem the tide of cyberbullying
By Akin Banuso, Country Manager, Microsoft Nigeria,
It’s perhaps one of the great paradoxes of our time – the opportunities that technology presents come with complexities that can be difficult to navigate. Nowhere is this more evident than in today’s classrooms. Whiletechnology is helping transform the learning experience in profound ways, it can also leave students exposed to significant online risk if the right measures aren’t in place.
A recent survey on online bullying in the Middle East and North Africa revealed the depth of the challenge educators and parents face, highlighting that at least 85 percent of UAE children have been bullied online.
In Nigeria, the government has addressed this plight through the provision for an Act that protects people from cyberbullying. However, there is much that still needs to be done in curbing cyberbullying by providing effective means of prosecuting cases in this regard and by raising awareness of the Cybercrimes Act in order to encourage victims of to report the offenders.
As a means of dealing with a wide variety of technology-based threats, the National Assembly enacted an Act called The Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act 2015 Cybercrimes (” Cybercrimes Act”) with the purpose of providing an effective and unified legal, regulatory and institutional framework for the prohibition, prevention, detection, prosecution and punishment of cybercrimes in Nigeria. It’s worth noting there two specific forms of cyberbullying have been criminalised – cyberstalking and racial and homophobic offenses.
Vast research has showed that children lack the necessary supervision required to effectively safeguard them from becoming victims of any form of cyberbullying. While parents have a role to play in limiting and supervising access to the internet, educators can also make a key difference. The more teachers are equipped themselves to deal with cyberbullying, the better the chance we have of combatting the online threat. In fact, there are several powerful ways we as adults can intervene in the cycle of online bullying.
Helping to prevent cyberbullying begins with listening to children. Ask them to talk about their lives. Sit with younger children while they play and explore online. It’s a good idea to regularly ask tweens and teens to show you around the websites they visit, where they hang out, who with, and how they talk to each other. This is particularly important in a school setting, where online activities should be closely monitored so that appropriate online behaviour can be encouraged.
There are also ways of watching out for signs of online cruelty. This typically involves taking note when children get upset while online or texting, or when they have a reluctance to be at school. At the same time, teachers can keep an eye out for children being mean to others online.
Greater awareness around the consequences of bullying can assist in discouraging a culture of cyberbullying. Help children understand that cyberbullying can get them into serious trouble. In some cases, this might even involve legal ramifications. At the same time, encourage them to think about the psychological effects cyberbullying might have on others.
Its important children feel they can report cyberbullying to you. Microsoft’s recent Digital Civility Index reveals that while cyberbullying is frequently listed as one of the most painful online risks, just 56 percent of teens in Turkey and 46 percent in South Africa ask for help when dealing with an online threat.
To counteract this, adults need to promise unconditional support. Part of this involves reassuring children that you won’t curtail phone, gaming, or computer privileges because of others’ behaviour. In the context of a classroom specifically, this would also involve providing students with an anonymous platform from which they can report cyberbullying.
One of the most effective ways to prevent online bullying is social and emotional learning—the process through which we learn to build strong relationships and develop healthy boundaries and self-perceptions.
Key to this is promoting empathy and kindness. Actively teach thoughtfulness. This can help students understand how small, thoughtful actions can make a huge difference in others’ lives.
Educators can even advocate for empathy training at school or start a kindness campaign within their classrooms. This could be as simple as each student agreeing to do one kind thing a day, or it could have a much broader scope, such as developing a programme to challenge a culture of criticism with the school. Similar campaigns can be replicated at home or even in a broader neighbourhood.
As a teacher, you can collaborate with other educators to create programmes that explicitly address social-emotional skills. In fact, collaborative learning platforms can enable students to work together respectfully and to negotiate as they co-create. For example, by having students learn how to accommodate the needs of others when creating worlds in Minecraft, teachers can find opportunities to develop deeper emotional literacy and introduce strategies to resolve challenges or understand perspectives.
Like teachers, parents have a critical role in identifying and stopping cyberbullying. As a parent, you might be surprised how difficult it can be for a child to admit, even to you, that they are being bullied. To help them get past this, create an environment that allows them to feel safe to tell you the full story. From there, together, you can come up with a plan of action. Encourage your child not to retaliate and to rather ignore or block the bully. Save the online discussions as evidence just in case it escalates to threats of violence and the police need to be involved. Approach their teacher or school counsellor and find out what steps can be taken to prevent it from happening in the future.
Reassure your child that they always have your support and shouldn’t feel ashamed. Get them involved in activities that make them feel good so that they can move on and heal from the incident.
At the end of the day, combatting online risks like cyberbullying begins with promoting digital civility and helping one another to be responsible digital citizens.
General News
PalmPay Strengthens Data Protection Culture with Employee Privacy Workshop and Privacy Champions Programme
PalmPay has reinforced its commitment to responsible data governance and customer information protection through a specialised two-day data protection workshop for employees and the launch of its internal Privacy Champions Programme, an initiative designed to strengthen awareness, accountability, and responsible data handling across the organisation.
The initiative comes at a time when data protection is increasingly critical following recent reports of recorded 281,500 compromised user accounts in the first quarter of 2026, ranking 34th among the world’s most breached countries, according to a new quarterly data breach analysis by cybersecurity firm, Surfshark.
Facilitated by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) and leading Data Protection Compliance Organisation (DPCO) TechHive Advisory, the two-day workshop equipped employees with practical knowledge on privacy governance and data protection obligations, incident awareness, and the role each employee plays in protecting personal data.
The initiative forms part of PalmPay’s ongoing efforts to advance compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023. It also reflects the company’s continued investment in safeguarding customer information and fostering a culture where privacy remains everyone’s responsibility.
The Privacy Champions Programme establishes a network of employee representatives across business functions who will support awareness, promote best practices and help strengthen the organisation’s privacy culture. By integrating privacy considerations into day-to–day activities the initiative aims to further enhance accountability and reinforces customer trust.
Speaking on the initiative, Managing Director of PalmPay, Chika Nwosu, stated: “At PalmPay, protecting customer information is fundamental to maintaining the trust our customers place in us everyday, and remains central to our operations. Statistically, 10 out of 100 Nigerians have been affected by data breaches.
Hence, we have a greater responsibility to ensure that personal information is collected, processed, stored, and protected responsibly. This specialised training reflects our continued investment in strengthening internal awareness and ensuring our teams remain equipped to uphold the highest standards of data privacy and protection.”
As a digital financial services platform serving millions of users, PalmPay reaffirmed that privacy and data protection remain embedded in its operational culture, with continuous investments in data governance practices.
PalmPay also encourages customers to remain vigilant and adopt safe digital practices, including protecting account credentials, exercising caution when sharing personal information online, and reporting suspicious activities promptly. The company maintains that building a secure digital ecosystem requires a shared commitment from organisations, regulators, and users alike.
President Bola Tinubu has appointed Dr Obi Adigwe as the National Coordinator of the newly established National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office (NHTDAO).
President Bola Tinubu
The appointment was announced in a statement issued on Friday.
The office, which will be domiciled in the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, is expected to serve as the national coordination platform for Nigeria’s digital health system.
According to the statement, the NHTDAO will complement the work of existing health institutions by promoting coordination and interoperability across public and private healthcare systems, rather than replacing existing agencies.
It said the office would also drive the implementation of the National Digital Health Architecture approved by the National Council on Health in November 2025.
The statement said the initiative formed part of the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen a secure, technology-driven and data-enabled healthcare system capable of improving service delivery nationwide.
Adigwe, who currently serves as the Director-General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), has led several initiatives in science, pharmaceutical research, technology transfer and artificial intelligence.
He also coordinated major research funding initiatives, including a ¥300 million nanotechnology grant and an €18 million European Union research grant, while supporting the establishment of Africa’s first Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) training facility through support from Afreximbank.
The statement said the new office would be guided by a steering committee co-chaired by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, and the Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Mr Olaniyi Yusuf.
Other members of the committee include the Minister of State for Health, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako; senior officials of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare; representatives of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); and heads of key health agencies, including the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
The committee will also include representatives of state commissioners for health from the six geopolitical zones, as well as industry and community stakeholders.
The Federal Government expressed optimism that the office would strengthen coordination across the health sector, accelerate digital transformation and improve healthcare delivery in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The Gathering on 100 made its latest stop in Enugu over the weekend, bringing together hundreds of young Nigerians for a day of networking, fun, entertainment, and business opportunities.
The event, previously held in Lagos and Aba, arrived in Enugu as the city gains recognition as one of Nigeria’s emerging innovation and startup hubs. Recent ecosystem reports rank Enugu among the country’s leading startup cities. The South-East region now accounts for more than half of identified startups across the South-East and South-South, highlighting the region’s growing role in Nigeria’s entrepreneurial landscape.
A major highlight of the Enugu edition was the Pitch-a-thon competition, where three entrepreneurs received a combined ₦5 million in grants to support their business growth. More than 100 entrepreneurs applied for the competition, with 10 finalists selected to pitch before a panel of judges. At the end of the contest, Velas Global Nutrition Limited emerged as the overall winner, securing ₦2.5 million. Werxio, founded by Donatus Prince, received ₦1.5 million, while Whipcare Company was awarded ₦1 million.
These grants address a persistent funding challenge. According to the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), the country is home to over 39 million MSMEs, contributing nearly half of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product and accounting for about 84 per cent of employment nationwide. Despite this, access to finance remains a significant obstacle to business growth.
For Chizoba Osuji, founder of Velas Global Nutrition Limited, the funding facilitates the expansion of a business built on years of research. Her company processes indigenous crops into shelf-stable blends, supporting nutrition and local women smallholder farmers. “This is motivation to keep making Nigerians healthier through better food,” she remarked, noting the grant will fund semi-automated equipment to increase production capacity to 20 tonnes monthly.
She added that the ₦2.5 million grant would be used to acquire semi-automated equipment capable of increasing production capacity to about 20 tonnes monthly. Beyond increasing output, the expansion is expected to create additional opportunities for women smallholder farmers across the South-East who supply many of the raw materials used by the company.
Speaking on the initiative, MTN’s Regional General Manager (Sales), Callima Inino, represented by Peter Kajovo, said The Gathering on 100 was designed to provide young Nigerians with platforms to connect, learn, showcase their talents and access opportunities that can help them grow.“We want to encourage youths to live their best lives and have fuller expressions of themselves,” he said.
As the Enugu edition concludes, the energy of the South-East’s startup scene remains evident. The Gathering on 100 continues its nationwide tour, connecting more young founders with the visibility and support they need. Stay tuned to discover where the tour will land next as it moves to its next exciting location.
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