From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
A committee headed by the Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Adeolu Akande, has been established by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, to advise the Federal Government on the best steps to take to protect the country’s cyberspace and ICT infrastructure from potential attacks, particularly during the 2023 General Elections.
According to a statement signed by NCC Spokesperson, Reuben Muoka Minister, Pantami announced that constitution of the Committee was on the directive of President Mohammadu Buhari that he puts in place, a committee that will work to coordinate computer security centres in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry in collaboration with other relevant institutions towards intercepting potential cyber-attacks.
The minister said with the increased role of ICT in online activities, and its crucial role in the conduct of the 2023 General Elections, in line with the Electoral Act, as amended, the job of the Committee will assist the nation in conducting a free, fair and credible elections.
He directed the Committee to which he also belongs to work round-the-clock from Friday, February 24, 2023 till the morning of Monday, February 27, 2023.
Other members of the Committee are; the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, Director General of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr. Kashifu Abdullahi, the CEO of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Mohammad Abubakar, the Special Assistant to the Minister, Prof Aminu Ahmad, including other CEOs and key directors in the agencies.
He said the Committee will also ensure it receives complaints around any attacks to critical infrastructure and ensure such complaints are escalated to relevant institutions, public or private, for necessary remedial actions.
The statement quoted the Minister saying, “Our main responsibilities in this Committee are more of advisory. Firstly, when it comes to intercepting potential attacks that may come to our cyberspace. The Committee will coordinate the NCC’s Computer Security Incident Response Team at NCC; the Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team at the National Information Technology development Agency (NITDA) and the Galaxy Backbone’ National Cybersecurity Centre.
“These three centres must work together, complement each other and ensure they intercept any potential attacks on our cyberspace particularly on our Critical Infrastructure during the election so that we could either take action or provide necessary advice to the government,” Pantami said.
He said the Committee will work closely with institutions such as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), mobile network operators (MNOs), among others, to collectively safeguard the Nigeria’s cyberspace from potential attacks or cases of vandalism and fibre cuts during the election.
“The challenges of protecting our cyberspace is a collective national responsibility; it is a national assignment. As a sector, we would play our own responsibility objectively and professionally. We would work collectively rather than working individually as agencies since we are in the same sector,” he added.