Youth involvement in cybercrimes, threat to economic growth- Oluremi Tinubu

First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu

The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has said no one can prosper without hard work and honesty, and that deviating from these values would have severe consequences.

She said this time on Tuesday during the unveiling of the 24/7 Rapid Response Desk of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission aimed at reducing the response time between cybercrime report time and response by the Commission in Abuja.

In a statement by her Senior Special Assistant on Media Busola Kukoyi, the First Lady stated that no one can prosper without hard work and honesty and going otherwise would have grave repercussions.

She called on parents, especially mothers to instill the right values in children while also creating a bond of trust and channels of communication.

“Be their friends, don’t be judgmental, but love them until they find themselves. We are the children’s first teachers and have a great influence on our children. What we inculcate in them matters a lot to their outcome in life,” she advised

Tinubu acknowledged the challenges posed by the digital age, which offers unprecedented opportunities but also exposes individuals to new vulnerabilities.

She highlighted the alarming rate of cybercrime involvement among Nigerian youth, despite numerous arrests and convictions.

She said, “I am informed that thousands have been arrested, prosecuted and convicted, yet there is no indication that the number of those involved is decreasing. With young people accounting for more than 60% of the population, the involvement of youth in cybercrime is a threat to the nation’s quest for economic development and stability.

“It is crucial that we emphasise and entrench the culture of hard work rooted in honesty and dignity of labour among our teeming youth. In this regard, parents play a pivotal role in raising and guiding their children and wards to be God-fearing and inculcate in them good values, morals and a sense of patriotism.

“Bond of trust and understanding should be created between parents and their children to allow for open communication, whereby their fears and insecurities could be addressed”.

Quoting from the Bible, the First Lady noted that every hand must be on deck to make the nation a prosperous one.”

Quoting from the Bible, the First Lady noted that every hand must be on deck to make the nation a prosperous one.

“We must always bear in mind that Nigeria is all we have, hence the need for all to work together to sustain the glory of our nation. As pointed out in the scriptures, that the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.” (Ecclesiastes 5:9).

“As leaders in our various endeavours, we must realise that the commonwealth of Nigeria is for all of us to benefit, hence, the need to assist and guide our youth to engage in positive online activities, rather than resorting to cybercrime”.

Various speakers at the event, including Minister of State for Youth Ayodele Olawande, state governors led by the Governor of Kwara State, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, and traditional rulers, were all unanimous in their conclusion that cybercrime can only be fought by restoring core values and respect for culture.

“Value reorientation is very important at this time in our nation. We call on everyone, including families, religious bodies, and traditional rulers to lead this campaign,” they said.