The Minister for Communication and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami, has unveiled the new National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) digital centre, reviewed logo, vision, and mission statements, assuring that the new projects will help to upgrade Nigeria’s cyber security.
Speaking during the Phase III Virtual Commissioning of Digital Economy Projects for a Digital Nigeria, the minister noted that the project is in line with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy for a Digital Nigeria.
“The reason behind changing the agency’s logo is that the world’s IT has changed from ICT to digital economy. It is no longer about IT policy but rather digital economy policy for a digital Nigeria, because the IT policy has become obsolete” Pantami explained.
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He noted that before the Coronavirus pandemic, the World Economic Forum had predicted that before 2022, 60% of the world economy would be digitalised. However, the pandemic has fastracked this prediction, making it obvious that the same could be achieved before 2021.
“This has motivated us to double our efforts, so that some of the targets we initially set for 2023 have already been achieved now. In telecoms , for instance, issues like that of the right of way for critical digital infrastructure has been lingering for years, but we have been able to resolve this in our first year,” he stated.
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More details: The digital centre unveiled contained a computer emergency response and readiness centre, and digital media studio.
The Computer Emergency Response and Readiness Centre is targeted at upgrading Nigeria’s cybersecurity in line with the administration’s plan to promote security.
“Today there are many challenges with regards to security based on what is happening online, so with the Computer Emergency Response And Readiness team, we will be able to be the watchdog of Federal Government of Nigeria, monitor potential cyber-attacks on our country, come up with policies and strategies to prevent such attacks on our country or at least reduce it,” Pantami said.
He added that such impending attacks will be communicated to the affected institutions on an advisory level, in line with the digital security pillar of the national digital economy policy.
The digital media studio, he said, would aid virtual conference, e-learning, and e-governance, and help the administration promote economic development and better security.
After doing a test run of the digital studio, Pantami commended the NITDA DG for completing the project which was initiated a year ago.
Also present at the virtual event was the Executive Vice Chairman NCC, Professor Umar Danbatta, Chairman, Governing Board of NITDA, Dr Abubakar Saidu, DG of NITDA Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, and the SA on media to President Muhammadu Buhari Bashir Ahmad.
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The Backstory: In October 2019, the ministry of communication was re-designated into Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and unveiled by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Earlier in the year, the department of digital economy was created under the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).