(Ecofin Agency) - US tech giant Google announced the launch of a $1 million fund to support innovative ideas on online privacy, trust, and security in sub-Saharan Africa.

“The fund will be administered by a third-party partner on behalf of Google.org, and we will be sharing details on application criteria and deadlines soon,” said Seember Nyager, the Head of policy and government relations at Google Nigeria, during the 16^th annual edition of the Safer Internet Day (SID).

Google says it is committed to making the Internet safe for children and will support organizations that take the same initiative. In that wake, the company launched the “Be Internet Awesome” program in Nigeria to “help minors explore the internet safely and confidently,” according to Mojolaoluwa Aderemi-Makinde (pictured), head of brand and reputation at Google Africa. The program is also implemented in South Africa and Kenya.

“Be Internet Awesome teaches kids important skills for surfing the internet, such as how to recognize potential online scams, using the internet securely and safeguarding valuable information, how to identify and refrain from cyberbullying, as well as what to do when encountering questionable content on the internet,” she said.