Google Funds $600,000 Study on Nigerian Teenagers' Internet Use

Google is funding Nigeria's first nationwide study on teenagers' internet use with $600,000.

Google's Investment in Online Safety

This funding includes $550,000 in cash and $50,000 in Google Ad Grants, according to technext24.com. The initiative is in collaboration with the TechSocietal Development Foundation.

Study and Training Initiatives

TechSocietal will survey 2,000 adolescents across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones. The organization will also deliver its Safety First curriculum to 5,000 teachers and school administrators and train 200 community champions to reach 10,000 parents and caregivers, as reported by Nigerian CommunicationWeek.

In addition, Google's Meet LEO program, which stands for Learn and Explore Online, will be piloted in Nigeria. Tech Hive Advisory will implement the program across four states, training 500 educators and youth leaders to use digital safety tools. These leaders will then train 2,500 more students and community members.

Concerns and Collaboration

The initiative follows public consultations led by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission. These consultations revealed that 93.5% of Nigerians are concerned about the online risks facing children. Dr. Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner of the NDPC, emphasized the need for collaboration across government, technology platforms, educators, and families to protect children online.

Sources

• technext24.com: Google commits $600,000 to Nigeria’s first nationwide study of teenagers’ internet use
• Nigerian CommunicationWeek: Google Invests $600,000 to Help Nigerian Children Explore the Internet More Safely

Prepared with AI from the sources below and our own data, reviewed by the editors before publishing.