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Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has called on security institutions in the country to take advantage of the 5G network recently approved for national deployment by the Nigerian government in order to effectively tackle security challenges.
The minister spoke in Abuja while delivering the keynote address at a security summit organised by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The theme of the summit was Synergy: Panacea to Effective Critical Assets and Infrastructure Protection.
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In his presentation titled with the title: Securing Critical National Information and Communication Technology Infrastructure: Challenges, Opportunities and the Way Forward, Professor Pantami disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy has implemented a number of strategies and policies through its agencies and parastatals to ensure that Critical National Infrastructures (CNI) are protected.
“As part of our efforts to ensure the protection of Critical National Assets, we are working with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to come up with an Executive Order to ensure that our Critical National Assets, particularly in the ICT sector are well protected.”
According to him, there is a Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team (CERRT) domiciled in NITDA, an ngCERRT in the Office of the National Security Adviser and another one established at the Nigerian Communications Commission to be commissioned Thursday 30th September 2021.
“In order to promote Research and Development in this regard, we have established a National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), the first of its kind in Africa, where young Nigerians are mentored, innovative and disruptive ideas are identified and supported towards the development of technologies which we will deploy as part of protecting our CNI,” the minister added.
In his recommendations, the minister advocated for the sensitisation of citizens and a re-orientation approach to entrench the role of citizens in protecting national assets among the populace. He also canvassed for a multi-sectoral approach to ensure the protection of CNI by deploying modern technological gadgets, as well as emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Internet of Things, and Virtual Reality among others that will make our work much easier through remote surveillance.
He urged the summiteers to consider research and development as a viable tool for improving security in the country.
