Some Information and Communications Technology (ICT) stakeholders have stressed the need for the FederalĀ Government to establish a National Cybersecurity Centre for Nigeria that would be responsible for the controlĀ of the countryās cyberspace and protect it from cyber attacks.
The stakeholders, who gathered in Lagos last week at the instance of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), theĀ umbrella organisation of all ICT professionals in the country, also called on the Federal Government to establishĀ a specialised cybersecurity agency, whose functions will be different from that of the National InformationĀ Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
The ICT stakeholders forum, which focused on the countryās cybersecurity challenges, identified the porousĀ nature of the countryās cyberspace, which they said, contributed to the high rate of cybercrime recorded in theĀ country.
In order to checkmate online activities in the countryās cyberspace, with a view to curbing cybercrime, theĀ stakeholders said the proposed National Cybersecurity Centre would be managed by a separate specialisedĀ cybersecurity agency that will be responsible for monitoring all online activities on the Nigerian cyberspace.
In one of the panel sessions at the forum, a Cybersecurity Consultant and a lecturer at the Federal University ofĀ Technology, Minna, Dr. Morufu Olalere, said: āAs of today, no agency of government is responsible for theĀ control of our cyberspace, despite having a National Cybersecurity Law, hence it has become an all-comerĀ affairs where everyone with internet connected device can freely enter the countryās cyberspace without anyĀ form of restriction and monitoring. This therefore called for serious concern and the federal government must riseĀ up to its responsibility in addressing the situation.ā
Cybersecurity expert, Mr. Abdulhakeem Ajijola, in his lead presentation on the dangers of cybersecurity,Ā advised NCS to collaborate with the academia in designing a curriculum that will make Cybersecurity, aĀ compulsory course for all freshers in all tertiary institutions in the country, Ajijola also stressed the need for NCSĀ to develop cybersecurity solutions for law enforcement agencies and to create basic cybersecurity awarenessĀ programme for all Nigerians.
The President of NCS, Professor Adesina Sodiya said the country, especially the financial sector, spent so muchĀ money last year in addressing cybersecurity challenges in all financial transactions, adding that universities shouldĀ have school of computing that would allow Computer Science Departments to stand alone as a full fledgeĀ faculty, where computer science courses would be taught in a way that it would produce graduates that wouldĀ address the countryā cybersecurity challenges.
The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, who was represented by CSP Kayode Emmanuel, saidĀ the Nigerian Police needs technology solution to address cybercrime that is perpetrated at the speed of light. HeĀ however commended the police for their gallant efforts in combating cybercrime, while calling for support fromĀ technology bodies.