The Lagos State Government said it has established a Cybersecurity Operations Centre (CSOC) to serve as the hub for monitoring, detecting, and responding to cyber threats in real-time in the state.
The Commissioner for Science, Innovation and Technology Mr. Olatunbosun Alake, disclosed this at the Year 2024 Ministerial Press Briefing held on Monday.
According to him, the centre will employ advanced technologies and a team of cybersecurity experts to ensure the state’s digital infrastructure is safeguarded against potential attacks.
Alake noted that the state has also established a cyber-security council, made up of experts from both public and private sectors, charged with the responsibility of making recommendations to the government, planning, refinement, and implementation of policies, programs, and training initiatives regarding its cybersecurity endeavours.
To achieve a broader strategy to improve overall security and governance within the state, Alake said the government is also partnering with leading cybersecurity firms and international organizations to provide the state with access to cutting-edge technologies and expertise while enhancing its capacity to defend against sophisticated cyber threats.
Data protection
According to a statement from the state, Alake also spoke on the Data Protection Compliance Project of the government, saying that Lagos has embarked on sensitization and awareness workshops for all Heads of Accounts, Procurement, Planning, Legal Officers, Medical Directors, Body of Permanent Secretaries, Cabinet members, Head of Cadres Statewide and for 43 MDAs; as well as the establishment of 70 Data Protection officers in various MDAs.
“The Commissioner averred that the objectives of the data protection compliance project are to safeguard the rights of natural persons to data privacy and foster safe conduct for transactions involving the exchange of personal data; prevent manipulation of personal data and ensure that Nigerian businesses remain competitive in international trade with best practice,” the statement read in part.
MetroFubre project
Speaking on the State’s MetroFibre, the Commissioner said the project seeks to achieve a 24-hour driven economy that would allow companies to operate in a safe and secure environment, thereby creating a more conducive environment for business, jobs creation, and increasing the GDP of the state. He added that the state has implemented 2,700km of unified fiber ducts across the state in Phase I, while Phase II of the project comprises an additional 3,300km of unified fibre ducts across the State.
“On the Safe City Project, Alake said it also involved Building a digitised 24/7 city which would allow companies to operate in a safe and secure environment thereby creating a safer and more conducive environment for businesses, more jobs, and increasing the IGR of the State.
“He said the Safe City project involves the deployment of Intelligent Video Cameras in strategic locations in the State with the execution and completion spread over points in time, in Phases I, II, and III, respectively, adding that 450 surveillance Cameras have been deployed at strategic locations across the city,” the statement added.
What you should know
At the federal level, the country has the Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT), which is responsible for securing the country’s cyberspace. The ngCERT’s responsibilities include managing cyber threats, coordinating incident response and mitigation strategies, preparing for attacks, problems, or events, and reducing the number of future incidents.
The ngCERT regularly issues alerts on the latest cyber threats and how Nigerians can protect themselves against them.
With the establishment of its CSOC, Lagos has become the first state to replicate this cybersecurity facility at the sub-national level. The State plays host to some of the biggest tech companies in Nigeria, bank headquarters, and several multinationals, which makes cybersecurity an important strategy for the state.