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World Bank supports Nigeria to develop skills in cybersecurity

By Nkechi Onyedika-Ugoeze, Abuja
30 March 2023   |   4:00 am
The World Bank, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, has commenced capacity building for stakeholders in the digital economy sector to enable the country to tackle cybersecurity challenges effectively.

[FILES] Pantami

The World Bank, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, has commenced capacity building for stakeholders in the digital economy sector to enable the country to tackle cybersecurity challenges effectively.

With a focus on investing in cybersecurity, increasing awareness of cyber threats and their potential impact on businesses, the government said there is a need for urgent action to protect its infrastructure and the citizens.

Speaking at the opening of a two-day cybersecurity capacity building workshop, yesterday in Abuja, Communications Minister, Isa Ali Pantami, said cyber threats have become a constant threat to businesses and organisations in the ever-changing world of technology.

He observed that in Nigeria, the digital economy is growing rapidly, which calls for heightened cybersecurity measures and robust partnerships. He added that the World Bank would support Nigeria to develop digital cutting-edge skills.

Pantami recalled that Nigeria recorded about 12.9 million cyber threats, originating from both within and outside the country, during the Presidential/National Assembly elections and 3.8 million threats during the governorship/state assembly elections.

He said: “Attempts that were recorded included Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), email and Internet Protocol Spoofing (IPS) attacks, SSH Login Attempts, brute force injection attempts, path traversal, detection evasion and forceful browsing. These statistics are alarming and they highlight the need for urgent action to protect our infrastructure and digital economy.”

The minister said the importance of having a robust cybersecurity strategy could not be overemphasised, adding that the workshop aligned with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, which identifies cybersecurity as a priority area.

Pantami said the ministry is partnering with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and other institutions to ensure that cyber space is secure.

Digital Development Specialist, World Bank HQ, Washington DC, Hyea Won Lee, said that the capacity building was to ensure that Nigeria secures its cyberspace.

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