Microsoft launches Internet Safety & Security Campaign in Secondary Schools

Microsoft in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Education, and Focus on Ghana, K-Inet, and AIESEC (the world’s largest student run organization) launched an Internet Safety & Security Campaign as part of its Unlimited Potential program which aims at facilitating information technology capacity building in Ghana and making students’ good cyber citizens.
According to Statistics on internet usage, Ghana ranks 10th in Africa on growth in internet usage but another disturbing statistics ranks the country 10th in the world as a top internet crime perpetuator. Ghana’s integrity and approval rating globally has thus suffered immensely as a result of the increasing rate of cybercrime reports alluding to the country. Several intelligence and editorial works have revealed an ever growing existence of what is termed “419 internet scam syndicates” or SAKAWA.
MISSFOG (Microsoft Internet Safety & Security Focus on Ghana) as the campaign is dubbed is a year’s long program that would benefit eighteen (18) different senior high schools from six (6) different regions reaching over 20,000 senior high school students in the country. This campaign would also be extended to four (4) University campuses in the country. Whilst workshops and seminars are held in the Senior High Schools, a major workshop and awareness on Technology’s approach to cyber crime would be held on University campuses to facilitate essay writing competitions at that level.

Speaking at the opening ceremony launch, Mr. Joshua Kwabla Kwashie, Country Director for Focus on Ghana stated that this is an important milestone in the education of Internet Security & Safety in second cycle institutions. “I believe much will be accomplished with this project. Students would benefit most as they use the internet often and they would play a vital role in this internet security & safety initiative”.

“As a non-governmental organization that envisions sustainable development of ICT in Ghana, we intend to expose young people to the effect of inappropriate contact, content and conduct on the internet whilst developing them on the use of ICT”, he said.

The Unlimited Potential Programme is a Microsoft initiative targeted at delivering relevant, accessible and affordable solutions in three interrelated areas that are crucial to developing economic opportunity - transforming education, fostering local innovation and enabling jobs and opportunities.
Citizenship Lead for Microsoft Anglophone West Africa, Mrs. Jummai Umar- Ajijola announced that MISSFOG is a collaborative effort to address the and we encourage all stakeholders to take action no matter how modest to discourage cyber crime and encourage positive Ghanaian leadership in cyber space. This is one of the many initiatives we have and intend to undertake in the country and would like to invite other interested stakeholders to come on board and make Ghana an internet safe country.

“Microsoft Anglophone West Africa under its Citizenship activities is working to ensure a sustained social and economic impact for everyone. We look forward to expanding the collaborative platform by integrating with ongoing and future legal and technical initiatives by other stakeholders”, she said.

Also speaking at the ceremony as the Key note speaker was the Minister for Education, Hon. Alex Tetteh - Enyo. He commended Microsoft on its numerous activities in the country for the last five years in fostering education, improving the use of ICT and building a better future for the young people of Ghana .

“The Ministry of Education and the government of Ghana pledges its continuing support to this initiative. This government recognizes the importance of Internet usage in education and through this collaborative effort with Microsoft is bound to change the way the youth engages with technology in Ghana ”, he emphasized.

The economy of Ghana is bound to fall if organizations and other stakeholders do not take action in helping the Ministry of Communications and the government integrates information technologies into the activities of the society and also harness the full potential for effective development, the Minister of Communications Honorable Haruna Iddrisu, said.

By the end of the year, Microsoft hopes that it can expand its partnerships in driving this campaign and reach many more students across the country.
Microsoft in its sustainable strategy to ensure that this campaign reaches almost all senior high school students presently and in years to come would be creating Microsoft –Keep Internet Safe (MS-KIS) clubs in Senior High Schools within the country.

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For more information please contact:
Jummai Umar-Ajijola at jummaiu@microsoft.com
Or Joshua Kwabla Kwashie at info@fogghana.org

For editorial contacts only:
Victoria N’dee Uwadoka at i-victou@microsoft.com