In an opinion piece to mark Safer Internet Day, Mrs Ng’ambi said the theme for this year’s day reiterated the need for policymakers, parents, teachers, law enforcement, telecom operators, among others, to join hands in walking the journey of creating a better and safer internet together.

This year’s theme is “Together for a better internet.”

Safer Internet Day is marked in February every year to promote a safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile phones especially by children and young people across the globe.

According to a 2018 GSMA report, smartphone adoption continued to see rapid growth in sub-Saharan Africa.

The report said that the total number of smartphone connections stood at 250 million at the end of 2017 and would double by 2025 to reach two-thirds of all total connections.

In Ghana, three out of 10 people now own a smartphone and the country’s data subscriptions stood at over 23 million ending September 2018.

“The internet is a great tool that has changed the way we work and interact with our families, friends, buy and sell, learn new things and meet new people,” she said.

“I’ve been in Ghana, for just over six months now and I am amazed at how the youth and young entrepreneurs are leveraging the use of the internet to not only socialise but pursue their ambition,” she added.

Mrs N’gambi said while the internet remaieds a great tool that brought fantastic opportunities, it  also posed some challenges, for children and young people such as Cyber bullying, cyber-crime and access to age inappropriate content are some of the dangers that young people are exposed to.

She said to create a better internet, the ‘Safer Internet Day’ offers stakeholders in the ICT industry an opportunity to join forces to address any negative experience young people may face online. 

“No telecom operator, non-governmental organisation or ministry can create a better internet on their own and thus this year’s Safer Internet Day calls for collaboration among us all,” Mrs N’gambi said.

“I would like to see us protect the next generation of creators who will develop new solutions for our critical problems. We all have a role to play. Let’s collaborate to protect our young people online,” she added.

AirtelTigo will use its social media platforms during the month of February to raise awareness on safe internet practices to ensure young people’s safety on the internet.