Nairobi: Junior Achievement (JA) Africa, supported by Google.org, is set to provide digital literacy and online safety education to children, educators, and parents in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa through a USD $1.5 million funding initiative. The program aims to equip 750,000 individuals with essential digital safety skills by 2027.
According to African Press Organization, JA Africa will implement Google’s Be Internet Awesome (BIA) curriculum, targeting 250,000 children aged 7-15, along with 6,000 teachers and 8,000 parents and caregivers. The initiative seeks to empower participants with the skills and confidence necessary to navigate the digital world safely and responsibly. This comes as internet access expands across Sub-Saharan Africa, bringing many children online for the first time without adequate safety knowledge or support.
Recent studies highlight the urgent need for such an initiative, particularly in Nigeria, where over 70 percent of children aged 6-12 use the internet but lack basic safety awareness. Similar trends are observed in Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa, where online risks such as cyberbullying and exploitation are prevalent.
Simi Nwogugu, CEO of JA Africa, emphasized the importance of equipping children with digital safety skills as digital connectivity becomes integral to modern life in Africa. The program aims to transform internet access into opportunities for young people, fostering a generation of informed and responsible digital citizens.
Developed by Google, the Be Internet Awesome curriculum uses interactive lessons and a gamified online platform, Interland, to teach children about privacy, cyberbullying, and media literacy in an engaging manner. Alessia Scarpellini, Senior Program Manager at Google.org, expressed support for JA Africa’s community-based model, highlighting the role of educators, caregivers, and young people in building safe online practices.
The program’s delivery will include school-based workshops, teacher training, and community outreach to ensure accessibility even in underserved and rural areas. The initiative aligns with national child-protection and ICT-in-education priorities in Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya, aiming for widespread integration into school systems and teacher-training frameworks.
Key targets by 2027 include training 250,000 children on online safety, certifying 6,000 teachers to integrate the BIA curriculum into classrooms, and engaging 8,000 parents and caregivers through workshops and digital learning modules. The initiative seeks to directly and indirectly reach over 750,000 individuals across the four countries.
JA Africa and Google.org plan to amplify the program through awareness campaigns, digital storytelling, and events like Safer Internet Day 2026. Collaboration with Ministries of Education, ICT, and Communications will further embed the curriculum for long-term sustainability, illustrating the power of collective efforts in safeguarding Africa’s future generation.