Youths working to protect cyberspace, digital infrastructure in Nigeria’s tech ecosystem ─NCC

*The Nigerian Communications Commission says its programmes and initiatives are designed to activate digital skills among young people, promote innovations, provide jobs, and support the government’s Digital Economy agenda

*Digital Encode Limited discloses young Nigerian tech professionals are making efforts at  protecting the financial ecosystem and critical digital infrastructure in the country

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

Contrary to a groundswell of negative developments in the cybersecurity world in recent times regarding ransomware attacks, and how the ‘dark world’ is filled with masterminds, Nigeria may soon witness an era in which its young, highly skilled minds will protect the West African country’s cyberspace, critical digital infrastructure and businesses for socio-economic transformation.

Of recent, cybercriminals have reportedly become greedy with ransom demands hitting new records, becoming somewhat public relations (PR) savvy in several economies, while  law enforcement also celebrates some victories from time to time.

Digital Encode Limited, a cybersecurity and consultancy firm, however, has stated that  in the next five years, Nigeria will have enough cyberwarriors to defend the country’s cyberspace and businesses, report said.

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Dr. Peter Obadare,  Co-Founder of Digital Encode Limited, noted this development at the weekend, in Lagos, when the company rewarded winners of the Cyberchain Hackathon programme.

Obadare explained that the country now has several young people that would have become cybertraitors themselves, but they are putting their skills to good use.

According to the Digital Encode Chief, these young professionals are working to protect the Nigerian financial ecosystem as well as the critical digital infrastructure for the good of the country.

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He stated: “These are young people that would have become cyber traitors themselves, but they are putting their skills to good use; working to protect the financial ecosystem and Nigeria’s critical digital infrastructure.

“We’re confident that we’re going to do very well in the future.”

Obadare also said: “We’re confident that cybercrime will soon become a thing of the past in Nigeria because we will have people that will be protecting the cyberspace.”

NCC’s ICT Parks, Hackathon, and other initiatives for tech startup ecosystem

ConsumerConnect had reported the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has been in the forefront of designing programmes and initiatives to facilitate the development and sustainability of the tech startup ecosystem.

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Such telecoms sector regulatory Commission’s initiatives include the ICT Hubs Support and Engagement Programmes; Annual ICT Innovation Competition and Exhibition; Annual Hackathon, and the development of ICT Parks across the geopolitical zones of the country.

Prof. Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of NCC, earlier this month enumerated these initiatives at the two-day Zonal Regional Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Innovation Forum the Commission held in Enugu, Enugu State capital, recently.

Prof. Danbatta, EVC/CEO (middle); Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director of Public Affairs (far left), with the 2021 NCC National Essay Competition winners at the Commission’s Head Office, in Abuja, FCT

The annual event had the theme: “Digital Societies and Emerging Technologies: Leveraging ICTs to Build Information and Knowledge Societies for Achieving the Nation’s Digital Economy”.

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While offering insight into the ICT Park concept, Prof. Danbatta affirmed that the telecoms regulator is currently building six technology parks across the geopolitical zones of the country.

According to him, the first phase of the project is nearing completion in four zones, namely, Enugu in the South East, Abeokuta in the South-West, Maiduguri in the North-East, and Kano in the North-West.

Initiatives to boost digital skills, innovations, digital economy: Danbatta

In terms of the objectives of the NCC programmes and initiatives, Danbatta also noted: “The project comes with a strategic intent of boosting digital skills among young people, promoting innovations, providing jobs for young Nigerians, and ultimately supporting the Federal Government Digital Economy Agenda.”

RELATED: NCC EVC Urges Nigerian Youths On Proper Application Of Digital Skills, ICT Tools

He further emphasised that the ICT Parks, which are at various levels of completion would deliver a fully-functional Tier-4 Digital Industry Complex (DIC) that would involve a commercial hub for ICT capacity building and digital skills, employment generation and entrepreneurial activities, and smart city deployment across the Complex.