In a bid to combat the increasing threat of cybercrimes and strengthen Nigeria’s digital ecosystem, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced its collaboration with the Chartered Institute of Forensic and Certified Fraud Investigator of Nigeria (CIFCFIN) on digital forensics. The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, expressed the agency’s readiness to work together with the Institute during a meeting with CIFCFIN’s President, Dr. Iliyasu Gashinbak, and his team at the NITDA Corporate Headquarters in Abuja.
During the meeting, Inuwa highlighted the detrimental impact of cybercrimes on the country’s economy, organizations, and individuals.
‘Sometimes in our efforts to digitize services, we lose sight of cyber security and only think about security when there is a problem, this shouldn’t be the case, we should always design or digitize with security in mind in whatever we do – that is the only way we can be safe”, Inuwa advised.
Inuwa also stated that, NITDA has been proactive in taking critical measures toward protecting the cyber space through creating awareness, capacity building and infrastructure
‘Although we are doing our modest best in this regard, we know we cannot succeed in isolation, this explains why we welcome collaborations and work with key stakeholders – individuals, organizations, and other Sovereign Nations to achieve the best result’ ’the DG noted.
While maintaining that perpetrators of cybercrimes spend a lot of money on research and thrive on information as well as powerful tools to launch attacks, Inuwa alluded to the fact that an organized defence to counter the attacks is non-negotiable.
‘’We invested in other technologies such as the Digital Fabrication Lab (FABLAB 1.0) and other labs around the country but we are yet to build a Cybersecurity Laboratory.’’ So, when we met the last time, I figured that this would be an opportunity to collaborate in order to build the Cybersecurity Lab.’’
‘’We already have in mind where it will be situated but we will need all relevant stakeholders to be part of it so that the design and implementation of the centre can be fast tracked,” he added.
The DG disclosed that while NITDA’s investment in the Cybersecurity Laboratory would commence next year, the center’s nomenclature would incorporate “Cybersecurity” to encompass other vital areas of interest. In response to CIFCFIN’s specific requests for collaboration, including Training and Certification Programs, Research and Development, Information Sharing and Collaboration Platforms, Policy Development and Advocacy, Joint Workshops and Conferences, and Standardization and Accreditation, Inuwa affirmed that NITDA actively engages in scholarship programs and certifications in partnership with platforms like Coursera.
Inuwa also highlighted NITDA’s efforts in conducting various Cybersecurity Training Programs for government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs). He mentioned that this year alone, thousands of Nigerians have received training through the Cisco Academy and Coursera platforms. The DG expressed optimism that the collaboration with CIFCFIN would lead to significant improvements in Nigeria’s cybersecurity architecture.
Dr. Iliyasu Gashinbak, President of CIFCFIN, spoke about the Institute’s eagerness to partner with NITDA on digital forensics and cybersecurity. In addition to the aforementioned collaboration areas, Dr. Gashinbak appealed for NITDA’s support in providing computers for the Nigerian College of Forensics and Fraud Investigators (NCFFI), technical assistance for deploying their combined e-portal and e-learning platforms, and establishing a Postgraduate Scheme/Scholarship. He assured NITDA of his organization’s commitment to ensuring the success of the collaborative efforts.
