‘ Nigeria must intensify cyber security ahead of broadband revolution’

TO ensure maximum impact of the New National Broadband Plan ( NNBP 2020- 2025), Nigeria will need to pay adequate attention to cyber security matters.

The need to ensure tighter cyberspace in Nigeria became necessary, following the projected upsurge in online activities as a result of the implementation of the NNBP.

Already, with the NNBP, Nigeria eyes 70 per cent broadband penetration ( which is currently 42.9 per cent) by 2025.

The new Broadband Plan is designed to deliver data download speeds across Nigeria of a minimum 25Mbps in urban areas, and 10Mbps in rural areas, with effective coverage available to at least 90 per cent of the population by 2025 at a price not more than N390 per 1GB of data.

Indeed, at a webinar on National Broadband Development and Cyber security with the theme: “National Broadband Development and Cyber security: Issues, Opportunities and Challenges,” organised by the Nigeria Academy of Engineering ( NAE), experts, who gathered to discuss the issue, noted that as the country sets out to implement the strategic measures and unlock national potential for ensuring progressive use of the nation’s cyberspace, all stakeholders have the mandate to make conscious effort to balance the security, social and economic imperatives of cyberspace with the cyber security needs of government, industry, academia and the international community.

The guest speaker, Cyber Risk Services Leader, Deloitte West Africa, Tope Aladenusi, said the impact of cybercriminals cannot be over emphasized. He disclosed that in 2020 cybercrime loss globally was $ 1 trillion.

Recalling 2020, he said the year brought a major reset on life and the world, with the globe having to adjust to the new normal “working from anywhere”, which has brought with it an increased dependence on Internet and broadband both within and outside Nigeria.

Aladenusi said broadband penetration is still a ‘ work in progress’ in Nigeria but that does not mean it is not accessible.

According to him, the benefits of broadband are huge, including the ability to create jobs; diversifies the economy and fosters GDP growth; enables improvement in education, health care and other social services; stimulates innovation; improves public safety and security.