FG launches cyber security training for education ministry staff

THE Federal Government, in recognition of the critical role of Information and Communication Technology in education, has launched a virtual class and training of staff of the Federal Ministry of Education on cyber security.

Minister of State for Education, Honourable Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, who launched the three-day training in Abuja, said it was done in collaboration with Cisco Networking Academy.

The minister said that the exercise was in pursuance of the actualisation of the ministry’s objective of “aligning with the dynamics of 21st Century teaching, learning and administration.”

He disclosed that the training was necessitated by government’s appreciation of the potential of ICT in sustaining the development of the country, as well as its inherent dangers.

Why I recorded, leaked Aisha Buhari’s video — Fatima, Mamman…

Nwajiuba added that the exercise was also prompted by the ministry’s goal of building the capacity of staff with locally and internationally recognized certifications in order to enhance their efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery.

He also expressed hope that staff, at the end of the training, would be equipped with skills that would propel the education sector to its desired level of development.

The minister also applauded Cisco Networking Academy for donating the virtual class and funding the exercise, while pledging the commitment of the ministry to collaborate with it on other aspects of the education sector.

Also speaking, the director of Information and Communication Technology Department of the ministry, Abubakar Isah, disclosed that the training was in recognition of the need to ensure staff are exposed to the latest trends in the cyberworld.

He said that since cybercriminals are always looking for ways to outsmart their targets, it behoves on government to protect its data by equipping its staff with the latest ICT skills and knowledge in order to avoid being prey to the ‘whims and caprices of cybercriminals’.

In his remarks, Mr. Toyin Olatayo, Academy Support Contact of the company, said that the training was part of his organisation’s corporate social responsibility.

He stressed that with cybercrime on the rise, globally, it is important that the protection of sensitive data and vulnerable personnel is taken seriously.

According to him, research has shown that schools and colleges, in the developed world, have become the targets of cybercriminals.

Olatayo also revealed that the trainees would be taught the latest cyber trends and how to stay safe in cyber space in order to protect personal and organisational data.