Engagement with stakeholders on Digital Technology and Cybersecurity

At the Conference themed “The Digital Theatre and the Future of Nigeria”, the Chairman, Senate Committee on ICT and Cybercrime, distinguished Senator (DR) Yakubu Oseni, stated that the “Senate had mandated his committee to establish engagement with stakeholders to galvanise a comprehensive broad-band approach in addressing Nigeria’s Digital Technology, one of those engagement is the hosting of this International Legislative-Stakeholders Conference on Digital Technology & Cyber Security”.

It is a reoccurring decimal that the advancement of ICT in Nigeria has accelerated globalisation and has impacted every area of our lives. ICT has become a key infrastructure in Nigeria. Despite the fact that ICT has made the world a much safer place, easy to navigate, undoubtedly, it is a major driving force for security and surveillance and investigation.

The conference is expected to identify gaps inherent in the system, create awareness, build capacity, and generate appropriate synergy in the relationships of stakeholders and provide inputs for legislation.

The challenges encountered is not only about the Cyber Security treat landscape, but also weak systems” Sen. Oseni stated. Nigeria has “a serious lag in infrastructure sophistication, data management and digital security know-how, which are critical to the development agenda.”
The Chairman appreciated Telecom giant Huawei “for their technical and moral support towards the success of the fight against Cybercrime.

Engr. (Dr) Chidi Diugwu, Deputy Director Media of the NCC, speaking at the event stated that NCC in regulating digital services in Nigeria has “provided license to telecoms providers, provided interconnection with the players in the industry, ensured the pricing regime, managed scare resources provided universal access and service obligations to ensure that all communities have access to digital services. He further lauded Huawei for their enormous contribution in Nigeria’s telecom and complying with the regulators.

Mr. Osita Iweze, Cyber Security and Privacy Officer, Huawei Nigeria, explained that Huawei “always addresses security and safety in the industry ecosystem with a view to always have network integrity and security prioritised”.

He disclosed that Huawei “…security requirements remain the bedrock and foundation on which we design, manufacture and deliver products. Huawei over the past 33 years has served more than 3 billion users in more than 180 countries and have not encountered any major cyber security incidents or problems. This highlights how efficient Huawei is in containing Cyber Security.”

The panelists at the event alluded to the fact that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has an e-space cyber security framework, provided forms/template for banks to respond in Cyber Security and has a centralised system where banks are mandated to upload incidents of cyber security.

The Nigerian Communication Commission advised that Nigerians should collectively be involved in protecting cyber security because “collaboration is key”.