SHALOM OLALEYE
The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has revealed that Nigeria’s financial sector experiences over 3,300 cyber-attacks each week.
He made this statement at the National Cybercrimes Summit 2024, themed “Alternate to Cybercrime: Optimising Cyber Skills for National Development,” hosted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Inuwa highlighted that financial institutions across Africa are increasingly targeted by cybercriminals, making the need for stronger defenses more critical than ever.
The financial sector remains the most vulnerable, and these attacks are a wake-up call for greater investment in cybersecurity,” Inuwa stated.
The Director General also emphasized that combating cybercrime requires more than just regulatory efforts. He advocated for the public and private sectors to invest in training cybersecurity professionals and providing alternative pathways for young Nigerians.
We need to look at alternatives to cybercrime, and the government must focus on digital literacy, skills development, and job creation to steer young Nigerians away from cybercriminality,” Inuwa said, pointing to digital literacy programs and job creation as vital solutions to the growing threat.
The summit also saw the launch of the EFCC Rapid Response Centre, unveiled by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, which will offer around-the-clock support for reporting and addressing cybercrime. Other key figures at the event included Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, religious leaders, and representatives from the traditional leadership. Their collective focus was clear: to build a more secure and resilient digital future for Nigeria.