December 4th, 2015
Nigerian government calls on cyberspace stakeholders to leverage the CTO to build capacity against cybercrime
A major national multi-stakeholder workshop held in Abuja this week put the emphasis on the Nigerian telecommunications sector as key to the country’s national approach to addressing cybercrime.
ABUJA, 4 DECEMBER 2015 – Nigeria has adopted a multi-stakeholder strategic framework for implementing its national cybersecurity policy in relation to cybercrime. The framework was adopted at a workshop organised by the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) on 2 – 4 December 2015 in Abuja, in collaboration with Nigeria’s Ministry of Communications, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Commonwealth Secretariat
“This national cybercrime workshop provides a unique opportunity for relevant stakeholders in the cyberspace industry to leverage the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation’s competence and experience to design Nigeria’s work of developing human and institutional capacity on cybercrime.” said The Honourable Adebayo Shittu, Minister of Communications of Nigeria as he addressed some 160 participants from government departments and agencies, fixed and mobile operators, civil society, academic institutions as well as regional organisations, including ECOWAS.
The aims of the workshop were to:
- increase the awareness of ICT and cyberspace stakeholders on the need and possible strategies for combating and defeating cybercrime in all its ramifications;
- improve the capacity of relevant ICT and cyberspace stakeholders for the training and support of cybersecurity officials;
- share cybersecurity best practices from across the globe;
- build capacity for local law enforcement in cybercrime prevention; and
- showcase effective strategies for drawing on the telecommunications sector to tackle cybercrime.
“When [Nigeria’s] policy is in place, it will be the official driving force for the practical development of human and institutional capacities as tools for national development.” The Honourable Shittu concluded.
Explaining the focus on telecommunications at the event, Shola Taylor, Secretary-General of the CTO said that “the telecommunications sector is the primary stakeholder group of the CTO. By itself, it can contribute significantly to tackling cybercrime as this event will demonstrate, and I would like to congratulate Nigeria’s Ministry of Communications and the Nigerian Communications Commission for making it happen, and the CTO is ready to support Nigeria in this effort.”
Secretary-General Taylor also gave credit to the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office “for their funding support that made not only this workshop possible, but numerous cybersecurity-related initiatives by the CTO over the past four years.”
“I would also like to thank the Rule of Law division of the Commonwealth Secretariat for their support for this event, and I look forward to more activities of the same nature where the strengths of our two organisations could deliver greater value to the Commonwealth family.” Mr Taylor added.
The Abuja workshop was part of a series of national cybersecurity awareness and capacity building programmes organised by the CTO, including regional workshops on critical information infrastructure protection held in the Pacific, South Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. The CTO is also advising a number of its member countries on cybersecurity policies and strategies.
For more information, contact The Communications Team at communications@cto.int
About the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation
The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation is the oldest and largest Commonwealth membership organisation in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), and uses its experience and expertise to support members in using ICTs to deliver effective development interventions that enrich, empower, equalise and emancipate people within the Commonwealth and beyond. More information about us here
