AI: Reps considering bill on cybersecurity, says lawmaker

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

The chairman, House of Representatives Committee on on Digital, Information, Communication Technology ( ICT)and Cybersecurity, Adedeji Stanley Olajide, has the parliament is considering a bill on cybersecurity to enhance security on digital platforms.

Olajide, stated this, in a chat with journalists, at the sidelines of the National Information Technology Merit Awards, in Lagos, where he was conferred  with Fellow, Nigeria Computer Society.

The lawmaker explained that with the rise of Artificial Intelligence ( AI), there is need to give more attention to cyber security, owing to the downside of the new technology. He noted that the House is also working on the Digital Economy Bill.

According to him, “The Cybercrime Bill is reactive, it kicks in when a crime has been committed. The Cybersecurity Bill is proactive, it seeks to ensure data protection and secure the way people interact socially and on the internet.

“Cybersecurity has become a major issue that we must pay attention to. Information is the new gold. If information is the next gold, then we must also find ways to protect it.

“With the emergence of AI, we have to prioritise cybersecurity because there are new challenges that come with the toolset. We are also going to pass the Digital Economy Bill. It is already on the floor of the House and undergoing public hearing. Once it becomes law, all aspects of Nigerian government operations will be digitalised. This will create jobs for our youths.”

Olajide, while speaking on the award, noted that  “I have a passion for technology, it is all I have done all my life. I take pride in saying I was a technologist before I became a politician. I am excited about this recognition because it gives a sense of belonging to a very prestigious body.

“I practised in the United States for years, and there is no central body like this. Nigeria has a body that can be showcased to the world to demonstrate that we have an institution that encompasses all areas of information technology.”