By Christiana Ekpa
Senate yesterday vowed to fight cybercrime in Nigeria, even as it expressed determination to safeguard the country Cyberspace.
Our correspondent reports that, the decision of the Upper Chamber follows series of Cyber attacks and criminality around the world.
Chairman, Senate Committee on ICT and Cybercrime, Sen. Abdulfatai Buhari made this known while briefing newsmen at the National Assembly, Abuja.
Buhari said cybercrime in Nigeria had taken another dimension which was exposing entities and businesses to multiplicity of risks.
“It is disheartening that the ugly trend is already having an increasingly alarming toll on Nigeria’s financial, economic, security, information and communication technology systems. Acts of online fraud, identity theft, cyber-bullying, etc., have become regular headaches,” he said.
He recalled that the Senate had considered a motion on “Worrisome Dimension of Cyber Attacks and Criminality: Urgent Need for Concerted Efforts to Secure Nigeria’s Cyberspace”.
“This was with a view to articulating a national and broad-based approach to keeping the country ahead of the challenge.”
Buhari further said that Nigeria’s cyber space was not safe and as such, stakeholders must not fold their hands and watch the danger that may emanate from cybercrime.
“Let us not fold our hands, until there is a problem before we start running helter, skelter. If developed countries are being attacked daily, there is the need to strengthen our cyber space,” Buhari said.
Contributing, Vice-Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Foster Ogola said there was the need to develop a national curriculum, a digital curriculum on ICT and cybercrime.
“We are getting it wrong, digital education wise. We should have digital literacy law that will start from kindergarten to the end of tertiary education,” Ogola said.
He further said that Nigeria had no regulatory framework and no certification level that made one an ICT professional.
Consequently, the committee has scheduled Nov. 6 to 9 for a national conference with a theme “ICT Development and Cyber Threats Management: Resolving Challenges for Greater Opportunities.”
