Telecom
Experts Urge FG to Establish National Cyber Security Centre
Experts, under the auspices of the Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria (CSEAN) have urged the Federal Government to establish a National Cyber Security Centre, saying it will ostensibly tackle the menace of cyber crimes in Nigeria.
They took this position as part of the resolutions reached at this year’s Cyber Secure Nigeria Conference, which was organised by CSEAN in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory.
At the well-attended conference, which attracted security agencies and stakeholders from the public and private sector of the Nigeria’s economy, the experts advise that the National Cyber Security Centre should be saddled with the responsibility of coordinating and implementing the National cyber security policy and strategy.
Remi Afon, President of CSEAN, said “As people who should know in the field of cyber security, we believe that establishing a National Cyber Security Centre by the Federal Government, will help build a resilient cyber security defense for our country.”
Afon added that, unfortunately, cybersecurity in Nigeria is currently under-resourced and lacks the appropriate long-term funding in both the public and private sector. But going forward, the Federal Government needs to invest in research, whose findings will meet and response to cybersecurity threats in a timely fashion and to nurturing human resource capabilities.
This, he believe will form a basis of finding lasting solution to the menace of cyber security in Nigeria.
All over the world, new regulations are coming out and are being adopted to protect personal data, respond to the ever-changing complex technological landscape. Thus, the 3-day conference with the theme “Implementing Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Practices in Nigeria” was organised.
According to CSEAN, the conference will put organizations under stricter obligations to be fairer and more transparent to the way personal data are being handled, arguing that failure to enact data protection law leaves the citizens of Nigeria exposed to data breaches.
He noted that cybercriminals are stepping up their game and data breaches are increasingly common and devastating. “While cybercriminals are collaborating, sharing information and providing 24/7 support services in the dark web on various cybercrime activities ranging from malware creation, compromised passwords sale, zero-day vulnerabilities, the government and private sectors in Nigeria are working in silos,” he posited.
He suggests, to adequately tackle cybercrime in Nigeria, the government must partner and engage with industry and cybersecurity organisations.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has said the best way to curtail cybercrime in Nigeria is for stakeholders to implement global best practices, saying it will ensure speedy implementation of requisite policies.
Osinbajo, who was represented at the conference by the Minister of Communications, Barr. Adebayo Shittu, added that there is a need to jointly work together and the menace of cyber crimes as nobody, including corporate entities are not immune.
“As a government, we believe that cyber security has come to us, as individual and national development increasingly rely on Information Communication Technology (ICT) to thrive,” he stated.
Cyber Secure Nigeria Conference has become an annual event; this year is the fifth of its kind and it aims to prepare participants through workshops, plenary, technical and breakout sessions on how to implement cybersecurity and data privacy practices in Nigeria.
The conference is packed with rich cyber security and data privacy topics to be delivered by distinguished speakers. I hope you will all enjoy the conference and bring home with you an unforgettable memory.
Telecom
Telcos Record N27Bn Loss from Damaged Fibre Cables
Repairs and revenue losses from damaged cables are estimated to have cost Nigeria’s telecom industry almost N27bn ($23m) in 2023, according to documents obtained by Bloomberg.
MTN Nigeria, the biggest wireless operator in Africa’s most-populous nation, and Airtel Africa Plc bore the brunt of the costs, the documents show.
MTN suffered more than 6,000 cuts on its fiber cable last year, the documents show.
On Feb. 28, a cut in its network in three different locations by a road construction firm, an oil serving company, and someone burning rubbish in a manhole meant customers faced more than five hours of data and voice outages.
The operator relocated 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles) of vulnerable fiber cables between 2022 and 2023, at a cost of more than N11bn —enough to build 870 kilometers of new fiber lines in areas without coverage.
Broadband fibre optic cables form the backbone of modern communication infrastructure, enabling the high-speed data transmission that underpins a wide range of personal, business, and societal activities.
On several occasions, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the industry regulator, has acknowledged this challenge and expressed willingness to work on measures to address it.
These measures include stricter regulations to deter vandalism and improved collaboration between telcos and government agencies responsible for construction activities.
According to the NCC, the telecom sector will make up more than a fifth of the country’s gross domestic product by the end of 2027, up from 13.5 per cent in the third quarter of last year.
Telecom
NCAIR Relaunch: Pantami, Tijani Fight for Credit
Isa Pantami, former minister of Communications and Digital Economy, has voiced his discontent over the relaunch of the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) by Bosun Tijani, his successor.
Tijani announced the revitalization of NCAIR, highlighting enhancements in its capacity and partnerships with global tech firm Cisco.
However, Pantami took to social media to assert that NCAIR was already established during his tenure in November 2020, dubbing it “the first of its kind in Africa” and emphasizing its effectiveness in training numerous Nigerians.
Tijani responded by detailing the new initiatives accompanying the relaunch, including increased computing infrastructure, dedicated research labs, and remote connectivity for AI hubs across the country. He also unveiled outcomes from the Ministry’s National AI Workshop, such as the country’s first Multilingual Large Language Model and partnerships aimed at accelerating AI development projects of national significance.
The exchange between Pantami and Tijani underscores ongoing efforts to advance AI research and application in Nigeria while navigating questions of continuity and leadership transition within the Ministry.
Telecom
ABoICT Lecture 2024 to Focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) In A Digital Economy
This year’s Africa’s Beacon of ICT Merit and Leadership lecture will focus on the role of artificial intelligence in a digital economy with the theme: “Artificial Intelligence (AI): The Good, The Complex and The Anticipated”.
The lecture which will herald Africa’s Beacon of ICT Merit and Leadership Awards hold on May 25, 2024 at Four Points by Sheraton.
The sixteenth edition of the award ceremony according Ken Nwogbo, editor-in-chief of Nigeria CommunicationsWeek the organizers of the event, “is a special edition to recognize and celebrate organizations and individuals in the ICT industry that have been distinguished in delivery innovative services in the sector.
“Most of these organizations and individuals have consistently being voted by our readers as leaders in their areas of operations and we have decided to reward them in this especial edition”.
He added that, AI is considered to have the potential to instigate a fourth industrial revolution,1 and is dramatically changing people’s patterns of interaction and economic activities.
“The traditional factors of production and physical capital and labour may no longer promote substantial economic growth. It is generally believed that AI will be one of the most important factors determining future economic growth.
“However, unlike traditional machines, which replaced the use of human and animal labor for simple manual work and heavy or dangerous activities, AI-related inputs may change the type of human work in a comprehensive way.
“In contrast to previous industrial revolutions, AI does not simply involve the invention of a new machine or technology. Instead, AI has similarities to the accumulation of human capital, as it can learn and accumulate knowledge by itself,” he said.
The Africa’s Beacon of ICT Merit and Leadership Distinguished Lecture is designed to explore efforts to put Nigeria on the global Information and Communications Technologies map.
The lecture series however is reserved for distinguished achievers in the ICT sector.
Past lecturers included Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, then executive vice chairman, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC); Engr. Yomi Bolarinwa, former Director-General of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC); Dr. Jean Luc Fort, CEO at OR System France and a specialist in Counterparty Risk; and Professor Chris Nwagboso, Chairman, Knowledge Factory International, United Kingdom.
Others are: Uche Orji, managing director/chief executive officer, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA); Biodu Omoniyi, Managing Director/CEO, VDT Communications; Ayotunde Coker, Managing Director, Rack Centre Limited; Peter Adedayo Arogundade, managing director and chief executive officer, Sidmach Technologies Nigeria Limited; Dr. Adewale Obadare, chief visionary officer, Digital Encode and John Obaro, CEO and founder of Systemspecs; Prof. Isa Pantanmi, minister of Communications and Digital Economy; among others.
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