Connected & Protected: Advancing Digital Safety in Osun State

In a bid to make the digital world safer for children, teachers, parents, and persons with disabilities (PWDs), the Connected & Protected: Advancing Digital Safety in Osun State project has empowered schools and communities with tools to navigate the internet responsibly and ethically in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). The initiative, implemented by the Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative (BBYDI) with support from 48percent, trained 50 teachers across Osun State as Digital Safety Ambassadors, equipping them to promote online safety, AI ethics, and responsible technology use among young people. The project’s goal was simple yet urgent: to protect students and communities from online threats such as cyberbullying, scams, misinformation, and unethical AI use, while nurturing a culture of positive digital citizenship. From 575 applicants, 50 teachers were selected for intensive training sessions covering digital citizenship, online privacy, AI ethics, and cyberbullying prevention. Each teacher received a Guidebook on Becoming a Digital Champion Safely and tools to replicate the lessons in their schools. Many have since gone on to conduct step-down trainings in 14 secondary schools, reaching over 1,450 students through school assemblies, peer education clubs, and poster campaigns on safe internet habits. “This session taught me to listen more to my students. That’s the only way they’ll trust me with their online struggles,” said Mr. Abduljelil Azeez, a teacher at Ar-Rahman College, Ilobu.

To extend the impact beyond classrooms, BBYDI organized two community dialogues in Iresi and Ifon, drawing more than 300 participants; including parents, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and youth advocates.

The discussions explored online parenting, AI ethics, digital scams, and protecting vulnerable users such as PWDs from online exploitation.

In Ifon, the Olufon of Ifon, HRM Oba Peter Oluwole Ipadeola Ilufemiloye, expressed commitment to sustaining the conversation through palace-led forums and parent-teacher meetings.

“This kind of discussion has never happened here. We will make sure it continues at our town meetings,” the monarch said.

Parents also welcomed the program, calling for translations of the guidebook into Yoruba to reach non-English speakers.

“We parents must guide our children, not just seize their phones,” said Mrs. Sururoh Adesina, a parent participant.

Recognizing the barriers faced by persons with disabilities and rural dwellers, BBYDI adapted the program to ensure full participation.
Hard copies of materials were distributed in areas with poor internet connectivity, and facilitators simplified technical terms for diverse audiences.

The project team has also begun exploring accessible and local-language versions of its training materials to make future digital safety education more inclusive.

Facilitator, Dr. Rasheed A. Adebiyi, emphasized that digital safety now goes beyond avoiding scams or cyberbullying; it includes understanding AI ethics, data privacy, and digital rights in a rapidly changing online world.

“The real success is not just in the numbers but in the mindset shift from fear of the digital world to informed, ethical engagement,” he said.

According to BBYDI, the project’s next phase will focus on integrating AI safety education into school curricula and community outreach programs, ensuring that both teachers and students understand how to use technology responsibly and ethically.

So far, the project has directly benefited about 2,400 people; including teachers, students, parents, community leaders and indirectly reached over 1,000 others through radio discussions, local networks, and family sensitizations.

For Osun State, this marks the beginning of a sustained movement toward safe, ethical, and inclusive online engagement; where children, teachers, parents, and PWDs are not just connected, but also protected.