By Abimbola Ogunnaike
As part of efforts to curb the rising tide of cyber-related crimes in Nigeria, Brighter Futures programme, an initiative supported by the United Kingdom (UK) government, has launched the ‘Thrive Online’ campaign.
The initiative also launched the ‘Cancel Cultist’ campaign aimed at reducing cultism and other forms of serious organised crimes in Nigeria.
The Thrive Online campaign seeks to reach vulnerable youths and educate them on the dangers of cybercrimes while providing alternative pathways to building sustainable livelihoods.
Speaking about the campaign, Mr Oladokun Olajide, a mentorship coach on the campaign, said the Thrive Online was a sustainable development campaign that addresses legitimate ways for youths to be financially independent, and educate them of the dangers organised crimes pose to them, their families, community and the image of the country.
“We enlighten youths on their roles and responsibilities as citizens in making Nigeria a better place to thrive – both online and globally,” he was quoted saying in a statement issued by the management team of the campaign at the weekend.
Over the past decades, serious organised crimes, particularly cybercrime, has caused significant damage to individuals, families and businesses in Nigeria.
According to the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), Nigerian banks lost N3.5billion between July and September 2020 to fraud-related incidents, representing a 534-per cent increase from the same period in 2019 when it was N552m.
