FUHSI trains 595 students on digital literacy, interventions in Osun

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo –

The Federal University of Health Sciences (FUHSI), Ila-Orangun, Osun State, on Friday trained 595 secondary school students on digital literacy skills and psychological interventions aimed at curbing cybercrime and online bullying.

The students were selected from five private and five public secondary schools in Ila-Orangun as part of the university’s social responsibility and cybercrime awareness initiative.

During the training, the students participated in a pre-test exercise, followed by workshops and post-test assessments on digital literacy, psychological skills and cybersecurity red flags.

The principal investigator and leader of the FUHSI research team, Dr Zainab Oduola, said the training was designed to create awareness about cybercrime and educate students on how to avoid becoming victims.

Oduola commended the Federal Government, through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), for supporting the programme, noting that the beneficiaries gained valuable knowledge on preventing cybercrime.

She noted that many young people venture into cybercrime due to ignorance, peer pressure and lack of proper guidance, which often disrupt their dreams and aspirations.

Also speaking, Dr Azeez Abioye, a lecturer in the Department of Library Science at the institution, described cybercrime as one of the negative outcomes of the invention of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Abioye stated that cyberbullying and related cybercrimes had adversely affected students’ mental health, finances and overall well-being, stressing the need for increased awareness.