In order to help the nation successfully address cybersecurity challenges, the World Bank has started building capacity for stakeholders in the digital economy sector in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.
The government stated that urgent action is required to protect its infrastructure and its people, with an emphasis on investing in cybersecurity and raising awareness of cyber dangers and their potential impact on enterprises.
Addressing yesterday in Abuja at the start of a two-day workshop on strengthening cybersecurity competence, Communications Minister Isa Ali Pantami stated that in the constantly evolving world of technology, cyber threats have turned into a continual menace to businesses and organisations.
He noted that Nigeria’s digital economy is expanding quickly, necessitating stronger cooperation and increased cybersecurity measures. He continued by saying that the World Bank would help Nigeria build cutting-edge digital capabilities.
According to Pantami, Nigeria experienced 12.9 million cyberthreats during the presidential and national assembly elections and 3.8 million during the governorship and state assembly elections. These threats came from both inside and outside of Nigeria.
He stated that: “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 workshop was in line with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, which names cybersecurity as a key topic, the minister said, adding that the significance of having a strong cybersecurity plan could not be overstated.
In order to guarantee the security of cyberspace, Pantami said the ministry is collaborating with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and other organizations.
According to Hyea Won Lee, a digital development specialist at the World Bank’s headquarters in Washington, DC, the capacity building was done to ensure that Nigeria’s internet was secure.
