The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has advocated the need for public and private sector stakeholders to increase their investments in cybersecurity professional training as a strategic step towards strengthening the national Information and Communications Technology (ICT) security infrastructure for national development.
The industry expert, who made this remark while delivering his paper titled ‘Alternative to Cybercrime’ at the National Cybercrimes Summit 2024 hosted recently by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, specifically harped on the need for stakeholders’ complete commitment to robust cybersecurity measures and digital trust to secure organizations and processes.
While suggesting alternate career paths for Nigeria’s youth and tactics to strengthen national cyber resilience, Inuwa spoke on the increasing need to address the growing threats of cybercrimes in the country as technology becomes more interconnected across mobile devices, smart TVs, and automobiles, among others.
According to him, researches indicate that are five main types of cybercrime, namely attacks on technical products or services, extortion attacks, data or identity theft, scams, cashing out, and money laundering.
Inuwa disclosed that the financial sector remained the most vulnerable sector in Africa, with over 3,300 cyberattacks reported every week, adding that cybercrime is a worldwide problem that impacts all aspects of the digital economy, especially in Nigeria.
He expatiated: “We are confronted with an urgent reality, Nigeria, a nation with rich culture, talent, and limitless potential is unfortunately grappling with the global menace of cybercrime but today, we are going to look at alternatives to cybercrime.”
The NITDA boss listed the fundamental causes of cybercrimes as including, financial incentives, unemployment, and ignorance of the ethical and legal ramifications, and advocated for a more comprehensive strategy to combat cybercrime, one that includes both law enforcement and providing workable alternatives to individuals who are tempted by illicit online activity.
For instance, he maintained that “to divert young Nigerians from cybercrime, we must consider alternatives to cybercrime and the government must prioritize digital literacy, skill development, and job creation.”
Inuwa emphasized the potential of the digital economy for job creation and huge contribution to the nation’s GDP, and the benefits of offering constructive alternatives to young Nigerians to exhibit their creativity and competitiveness in the increasingly global technology-powered global market.
