Nigeria is hoping to reduce cybercrime menace in the country by 40 per cent in the next three years. The National Information and Technology Development Agency (NITDA), which disclosed this, said it hoped that through the mechanisms of the law, concerted efforts and collaboration, cybercrimes will plummet by 40 per cent by 2027.
NITDA revealed this in Lagos yesterday, at the 2024 Regtech Africa Conference and exhibition with the theme: “Harnessing Partnerships for Africa’s Prosperity—Bridging the Data Trust Gap.” Contained in its Eight Pillar agenda for the sector’s transformation, Director- General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdulahi, said every effort must be made to see that cybercrime menace reduces in Nigeria.
Represented by the Director of Planning and Strategy, Dr. Aristotle Onumo, Abdulahi, who said partnerships will be key in bridging the data trust gap in the country, noted that there must be concerted efforts to clip the wings of the menace.
Getting this done, especially bridging data trust gap, he said it will require government and regulatory cooperation; private sector engagement; academic and research collaboration and civil society and community engagement.
He revealed that NITDA’s realignment with the renewed agenda of President Bola Tinubu has been anchored on principles including clarity, collective responsibility, commitment to excellence, challenging the status.
“Our Strategy is therefore to create digital value for the future through partnership and collaboration. We considered our factor endowment, which is our population demographics, Internet and mobile penetration, challenges which is acceptable ingredient for innovation,” he stated.
He explained that the strategic pillars would be centred on key performance indicators, including achieving 70 per cent digital literacy by 2027 and training of three million tech talents (3MTT); establishment of one special purpose vehicle before the end of 2024; establishment of six technology centres of excellence by 2025.
He said NITDA would strengthen policy implementation and legal framework, which will ensure 100 per cent completion of DPI regulatory instruments by 2025, launch of five sector data exchange frameworks by 2026; 100 per cent completion of PKI framework by 2024 and 100 per cent cyber insurance framework developed by 2025.
He said Nigeria through NITDA is keen on strengthening cybersecurity and enhance digital trust, saying that the agency would facilitate cybersecurity collaboration; implement threat detection and mitigation; launch e-Trust initiative and implement national PKI.
The NITDA DG said “success indications would be 100 per cent eligible organizations licensed; 100 per cent eligible platforms registered with the e-Trust. We will ensure 50 per cent increase in the number of partnerships with local and international Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRT) and 40 per cent reduction in successful cybersecurity attacks by 2027.”
He said NITDA would forge strategic partnerships and collaboration, saying the target is to have six global platforms participation by 2027 and ensure that about 400 diaspora Nigerians are engaged by 2027.
