The National Museum, Lagos has partnered the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Total Nigeria PLC to advocate against wrongful use of the social media by children.
Mrs Omotayo Adeboye, Curator, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Lagos chapter, disclosed this at a press conference in Lagos on Monday.
Adeboye said there would be a painting competition scheduled for Sept. 25 and Sept. 26, 2019 at the National Museum.
She said that the museum was worried over the negative influence of social media on the contemporary youth.
“This is what informed the museum to partner with other organisations to ensure children are educated about the dangers of engaging in the negative side of social media through painting competition,” she said.
She said that the competition would have students from 20 schools who would be painting illustration with the theme: “Social Media: My perspective”.
According to her, this is to task the students mentally to depict their perspectives on the proper use of the social media through paintings.
She said that this was also to spur creativity in students and imbibe in them positive social values within the scope of responsible use of social media.
” We will be making the students to drill their brains and come up with paintings that will inform people about the negative effects of the social media.
“When they come up with these paintings, they will be better informed regarding the implications of too much involvement in social media.
” Most children have been caught up with fraudulent practices due to the social media, although, it has its positive effects as it educates.
” We have experts as our judges and the winners from the senior and the junior cadres will be given prizes, while all participants will go with branded gifts from our partners.
” The students from the junior and senior cadres that come up with the painting that most depict the theme will emerge winners,” she said.
Adeboye said that the museum decided to compensate schools who had been visiting the museum on tours as they were given preference when schools were choose to participate in the forthcoming competition.
She said both private and public schools would participate.
Earlier, Mr Vincent Nnadi, the Executive General Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, Total Nigeria PLC, said that the company’s partnership with the museum was to fulfill their social corporate responsibility.
He said that the company had been involved in such social services over the years to address trending social problems.
Nnadi said that the company would continue its partnership with the museum if this maiden painting competition addressed the issue.
He said that part of the policy of the company was to be involved in the culture and custom of the people as well as support festivals .
” We are also bothered about the destruction effect of social media and we are interested in effecting social change as part of our social corporate responsibility.
” To actualise this, we are interested in the youth because they are the leaders of tomorrow.
” We will continue to partner with the museum for the annual competition if this yields fruitful results,” he said.
