COWA President Canvasses Social Media Protection of Children on May 27

The National President, Customs Officers’ Wives Association (COWA) and wife of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Mrs. Kikelomo Adewale Adeniyi, in her Children’s Day address has canvassed the need for parents to protect their wards from the negative use of social media.

In a media parley with journalists at the corporate Headquarters of COWA, Adeniyi revealed that the occasion was aimed at setting a lifetime agenda that will guide children in the future adding that it is a duty to nurture children and pray for them to succeed in life.

The meeting which also hosted over 200 children to a party to mark the 2024 Children’s Day celebration was themed:  “Protecting the Nigerian Child from the Dangers of Online Technology”.

Adeniyi noted that the onus lies on parents to educate children on the dangers of negatively using social media by creating a safe space for training children on how to harness technology for social good.

She highlighted the significance of raising children with the awareness that they represent their families and the larger community stressing that guardians should be extra vigilant about their children’s activities at home and online.

She said: “At COWA, we believe that it is our responsibility to speak to the minds of our children to protect them and educate them to understand the dangers of technology. We need to be extra vigilant because there are so many people on social media; thus, we all must be watchful towards what our children are doing.

“In my opinion, children who are within the age of 8–16 must not be allowed to use social media platforms. Discipline is the key to achieving greatness in life and that COWA will continue to support.”

Adeniyi also expressed confidence in the ability of Nigerian children to excel and become good ambassadors of Nigeria in the future encouraging them to heed the instructions of their parents and teachers and avoid using social media platforms negatively.