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Nigeria To Produce Cyber Security Experts- Pantami
Ali Pantami
Aminat Isah, Abuja
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, has assured that Nigeria would soon join the league countries in the production of cyber security experts around the world.
Pantami gave the assurance in Abuja on Tuesday during the flag-off ceremony of the Cyber security Enlightenment programme for both private and public secondary schools in Abuja, with an interest in online protection of youth due to the increasing cyber security threat.
The enlightenment programme which was aimed at leveraging on the second the sixth pillars of digital economy plan- digital literacy and skills, and soft infrastructure would produce youth that are cyber security experts and digital literacy to help the country tackle the menace of cyber security.
“We want to expose our young ones to digital literacy and necessary skills and we want to be known as producers of cyber security experts.
“No one would want to do online transactions with our banks if we know that online transactions are not safe. We want to make sure that people can feel safe when they are online. We know that Nigeria does not have a nice image abroad when it comes to issues of cyber security; people commit crimes and claimed to be Nigerians.
“What we are doing apart from the Soft Infrastructure pillar; we are also making sure that pillar number two: Digital Literacy and skills that will ensure that our youths (primary and secondary school students), are exposed to digital literacy.”
The Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Tallin Pauline, who was represented by Technical Assistant to the Minister, Princess Jumai Idonije, applauded the step taken by the NCC in protecting the Nigerian children from cyber bully and sexual harassment and reiterate the minister’s resolve to support the commission drive in the quest of enlightening the young ones.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, earlier in his welcome address said that the internet is home to all hence the need for proper guidance and enlightenment of the children on cyberspace risk management.
Speaking further, Danbatta said the indispensable nature of the internet is one one of the many reasons why children and youth are not excluded from the harmful threat posed by cyber security threat as they are among the high users of new technology applications, especially in research, learning, communication, entertainment and business for those with entrepreneurial minds.
According to the EVC, the pervasive nature and proliferation of the Internet through tge use of internet enabled gadgets such as phones makes it difficult for parents, guardians to effectively monitor the online online contents their wards are exposed to.
“it is important to note that although the Internet provides countless opportunities for children, it also exposes them to potential harmful contents. According to the United Nation’s report on Nations Population Estimates and Projections, which looked at Nigeria’s population from 1960-2019, Children and Youths constitute a large portion.
“This means that children and youths are the most active participants online via social network sites, making, them potential victims of grooming, inappropriate content, and exposure to unscrupulous actors and the likes.
” The Commission, is committed to making sure that our children and youth are protected from cyber criminals, by putting in place the following initiatives, amongst others: are the ongoing nationwide cyber security awareness campaign, being flagged off today in Abuja, starting with the FCT, and later extending to all the 36 States of the Federation, to sensitize secondary school children on cyber related crimes, such as Cyberbullying, Internet fraud, Identity theft, Online soliciting of minors, etc,”
He also hinted on the review of the cyber Act 2015 and other plan being put in place to tackle cybercrime, which culminated National Cyber Security Policy, National Cyber Security Strategy and the Cybercrimes ACT; 2015.
The minister further disclosed that the process of establishing a Cyber Security Incidence Response Team (CSIRT) exclusively for the Communications sector in conformity with the Cyber Security Strategy contact for international coordination of Cyber security incidents in Nigeria.
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