ITU Appoints Dame Patience Jonathan the Child Online Protection Champion

 Dame Patience Jonathan.

GENEVA, 10 May 2013 / PRNewswire Africa / - The Secretary-General of International

Telecommunication Union (ITU) Dr Hamadoun I. Touré today appointed the First Lady of Nigeria and President of the African First Ladies Peace Mission, Her Excellency Dame (Dr) Patience Goodluck Jonathan, as ITU's Child Online Protection (COP) Champion.

The First Lady received her letter of appointment from the Director of ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau, Brahima Sanou, who met with her today to discuss issues related to cyberthreats and cybersecurity in the Africa region.

Mr Sanou was accompanied by Datuk Mohd Noor Amin,
Chairman of the International Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber
Threats (IMPACT), ITU's executing arm for cybersecurity, and Andrew Rugege, ITU Regional Director for Africa.

“It is a great honour for ITU to have the support of Nigeria's
First Lady,” said Dr Touré. “Her commitment is further confirmation of
the key role that ITU is playing as a global catalyst and facilitator in
international dialogue and cooperation in the area of cybersecurity.”

Mr Sanou added that the “COP framework has become a crucial means of
creating a safe environment for our children while they are on the net.
Both ITU and IMPACT have faith in Her Excellency's ability to spread
this message and push for reforms not only in the Africa region but across the globe.”

 Datuk Mohd Noor Amin said Dame Jonathan,
who has won numerous accolades for her charitable work involving women
and children, will be the perfect advocate for ITU's Child Online
Protection initiative.

“Her Excellency is both a progressive leader and
renowned humanitarian, and is the ideal candidate to help ITU-IMPACT in
its mission to push for COP awareness and the need for national online
protection frameworks to protect and support the younger generations
online.”

In addition to the COP initiative, ITU and IMPACT are looking at the
possibility of setting up a Cybersecurity Regional Centre in Nigeria
which would play an essential role in supporting the expansion of
ITU-IMPACT's network globally, by localizing cybersecurity services to
meet the unique needs of the region. Nigeria has indicated its interest in hosting a new Regional Centre under the ITU-IMPACT framework.

The proposed Regional Centre would become a vital hub of expertise
and constitute an important component of the multi-stakeholder network
that must be built to support government, industry and citizens, so that
the full benefits of information and communications technology can be
assured for all citizens.

“While acting as a catalyst for greater regional collaboration to
address escalating cyber threats, this centre would also help promote Nigeria as an advanced cybersecurity hub for the region,” said Mr Sanou.

SOURCE : International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

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