By Angeline Mgbele, Bureau Chief, Northern Nigeria
The Nigerian Federal Government has said that its programmes aimed at creating incentives to keep cybercrime and unethical online behaviour southwards is yielding positive results, Cyber Era NG learns following a heads-up by the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN).
According to NAN, the Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi said this Monday, in Abuja, north central Nigeria, during a news conference ahead of the National Cybersecurity Conference in Abuja.
Mallam Abdullahi said the conference was expected to lend support to the successes already recorded in sanitising the online space.
The conference, Abdullahi said, would be hosted jointly by NITDA in collaboration with Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and a Dubai-based event company, QNA, among other partners.
Expected to hold between July 7 and 10, the NITDA DG said the conference would have its theme as: “Building a Resilient Digital Future,’’ adding that with the evolving digital world, there was need for urgent cybersecurity measures.
“The digital age has brought incredible opportunities for innovation and economic growth. However, it has also created serious cybersecurity challenges.
“By 2025, global cybercrime damages are projected to reach 10.5 trillion dollars annually, a sharp increase from three trillion dollars in 2015.
“In Nigeria, the emergence of sophisticated cyber-attacks, often powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) highlights the urgent need for robust preventive measures.
“Focusing on equipping the nation’s youth with skills in technology and digital innovation can harness their talents for positive contributions,’’ he said.
The NITDA boss called on young people to leverage governments’ opportunities and use the cyberspace positively.
He said the conference would feature Cybersecurity Excellence Awards, to encourage individual and institutional contributions to protecting the integrity of the nation’s cyber space.
National Cybersecurity Coordinator, ONSA, Saad Abubakar said that addressing issues of cybersecurity required public-private partnership(PPP).
“You will realise that our children and elders are not protected online; 50 per cent goes on cyberbullying, cyber sextortion and the rest.
“If we can provide these online services, we should also channel the energy into securing our cyberspace,’’ he said.
Earlier, Director, Cybersecurity Department, NITDA Mohammed Lawal said that embracing digital transformation needed strengthening digital infrastructure resilience.
