The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called for a collaborative action across sectors of the Nigerian economy to improve on the fight against growing cyber threats in the country.
Dr. Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice-Chairman and CEO of NCC, stated this during his keynote address at the opening session of a workshop aimed at protecting the nation’s Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII).
At the workshop, organized in Abuja, Maida stressed the need for stronger cooperation among policymakers and sector regulators, especially in order to discuss cybersecurity issues and take relevant actions in this regard.
Indeed, the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre (NCCC), under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), organised the event, bringing sector regulators and policy makers together.
Maida called for quick implementation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Executive Order on CNII protection, highlighting that the CNII Order focuses on ensuring resilience.
He stressed that this will allow networks to recover quickly from incidents and maintain public and business trust in telecom infrastructure.
Maida unveiled the creation of a Trusted Information Sharing Network (TISN) to help improve information sharing and risk assessments related to the CNII.
According to him, this network, led by the Office of the National Security Adviser and supported by various government bodies and private sector groups, will help identify threats and vulnerabilities while building capacity for effective security measures.
He said, “The CNII Order emphasises resilience -a principle that will ensure our networks can recover quickly from incidents, maintaining the trust of the public and businesses that rely on telecom infrastructure daily.”
Maida highlighted the need for stakeholders’ collaborations on achieving the set objective of protection the CNII across the country.
He explained that, “A Trusted Information Sharing Network (TISN) will be established to enhance information sharing and risk assessment related to Critical National Information Infrastructure.”
Maida said the TISN will be under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), in collaboration with key stakeholders from the government, information infrastructure operators and relevant private sector organisations.
He said, “This network will foster a crucial communication channel for sharing threats and vulnerabilities, promoting decentralised risk assessment and building capacity to implement effective security measures.”
Other stakeholders at the event also highlighted the importance of inter-sectoral collaboration to tackle cyber threats like fraud and cyber espionage, which continue to threaten Nigeria’s digital landscape.
NCC: Maida calls for stakeholders’ collaboration in fight against cyber threats