DICON Bill 2023 requires effective implementation

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The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. T. A. Lagbaja, has disclosed that the new Defence Industrial Corporation of Nigeria, DICON Bill, 2023, signed into law, requires effective implementation of the public-private partnership for digital economy development for Nigerian Army operations to thrive.

General Lagbaja disclosed this while delivering a lecture on “Digital and Modern Land Operations: Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities” as part of the activities to mark National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS Defence Week in Plateau State.

He narrated that the inadequate capacity at various levels has affected the use of ICT in the country generally and the Nigerian Army in particular, adding that individual literacy levels in ICT skills are grossly inadequate for the development of big ICT structures.

The Chief of Army Staff, who stated that the training of ICT is taking place across all NA schools in the country, added that the output is inadequate and also affected by the high-tempo operations being conducted in all parts of the country.

“Also, the poor military-industrial complex is a major challenge to the development of the military and digital economy in Nigeria. There is a lack of an industrial base from when component parts equipment could be manufactured and maintained.

“Defence Industrial Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) has only an R&D department for weapons but not for ICT and other requisite equipment. And the major issue is that the lost establishment and human resourcing for the ICT R&D may be too much for the armed forces to bear.”

Also, in his presentation, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral E.I. Ogala, pointed out that the absence of a comprehensive cybercrime framework, coupled with a shortage of skilled cyber security professionals, has further exacerbated the vulnerability, adding that the implications are particularly concerning given the lack of a robust cyber security framework in Nigeria, which leaves critical digital infrastructure vulnerable to exploitation.

“Nigeria’s digital infrastructure is still developing, and the country lacks the necessary defences to prevent, detect, and respond to sophisticated cyber threats.”

In his recommendations, the Chief of Naval Staff advised the federal government to create a central digital hub for maritime operations in Nigeria and review existing regulatory frameworks in the maritime industry to include digitalisation of all processes.

He further recommended that the Attorney General forward a bill to the National Assembly for review of the existing regulatory framework in the maritime industry to include digitalisation of processes by March 2025. The National Assembly is to review and pass regulatory frameworks for digitalisation of processes in the maritime industry by December 2025.

“The President to sign into law a review regulatory framework that includes digitalisation of processes by regulators of Nigeria maritime by December 2025,” he recommended.

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