By Chimezie Godfrey
As the world marks the 2021 International Day of families, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq has felicitated with all families in the country.
she urged them to stay current with technological trends in order to remain relevant in the society.
The Minister recalled that the International Day of Families was proclaimed by the U N General Assembly (UNGA) in 1993, with the resolution ( A /RES /47/237) and reflects the importance of the international communities.
She said the International Day provides awareness of issues relating to families and to increase knowledge of the socio- economic and demographic processes affecting families .
She noted that May 15th of each year has been declared as the International Day of families and the theme for 2021 is ‘Families and New Technologies”.
According to her, the theme focusses on the impacts of new technologies on the well being of families and follows on the theme of the 59th session of the Commission for Social Development; socially just transition towards sustainable development: the role of digital technologies on social development and well being of all.
She said,”As we all know, new technologies are evolving at a rapid pace and impact on every aspects of human endeavours, this has changed the normal way of doing things.
“New technologies such as the smart phones, computers, artificial intelligence, internet of things, blockchain, robotic process automation, virtual reality, to mention but a few, impact on individuals, families and communities and to keep pace with the trends in technology, there is need for individuals and families to keep upskilling and learning new tools to remain relevant.
“To stay current with new technology trends is necessary.”
The Minister equally encouraged families to strike a balance in the use of modern
technology at home and at work as well as safety concerns for children in the use of the internet and social media.
She stressed that families are the foundation of society and should be protected and celebrated.
“As we celebrate the world family day, let’s promote love among families because a happy family is a happy society,” the Minister advised.
