24th February, 2023
By Funmilola Gboteku
President Muhammadu Buhari has set up a committee to advise the Federal Government on appropriate measures to take in protection of the nation’s cyberspace and ICT infrastructure from potential attacks during the February 25 elections.
The Committee for Cyberspace and ICT infrastructure protection during the 2023 General Elections was inaugurated on Thursday on behalf of President Buhari by Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Ibrahim Pantami.
The committee, led by Chairman of NCC, Prof. Adeolu Akande, according to a statement signed by Mr Reuben Muoka, the Director of Public Affairs at NCC, would work to coordinate computer security centres in the ICT industry in collaboration with other relevant institutions towards intercepting potential cyber-attacks.
Pantami said with the increased role of ICT in online activities, and its crucial role in the conduct of the 2023 general elections, in line with the electoral act, as amended, the job of the committee would assist the nation in conducting a free, fair and credible elections.
Pantami said that the committee, to which he also belonged alongside the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, and the Director-General of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr Kashifu Abdullahi, among others would work round the clock.
He said that they would work from Friday, Feb. 24, till Monday, Feb. 27, 2023.
He said the Committee would also ensure it receives complaints around any attacks to critical infrastructure and ensure such complaints were escalated to relevant institutions, public or private, for necessary remedial actions.
He said that the Chief Executive Office of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Mohammad Abubakar, and the Special Assistant to the Minister on Digital Economy, Prof. Aminu Ahmad, were members of the Committee, including key directors in the agencies.
“Our main responsibilities in this Committee are more of advisory. Firstly, when it comes to intercepting potential attacks that may come to our cyberspace.
”The committee will coordinate the NCC’s Computer Security Incident Response Team at NCC, the Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team at NITDA and the Galaxy Backbone’ National Cybersecurity Centre.
“These three centres must work together, complement each other and ensure they intercept any potential attacks on our cyberspace particularly on our Critical Infrastructure during the election so that we could either take action or provide necessary advice to the government,” Pantami said.
He said the Committee will work closely with institutions such as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), mobile network operators (MNOs), among others.
Pantami said the committee would work with them to collectively safeguard the Nigeria’s cyberspace from potential attacks or cases of vandalism and fibre cuts during the election.
“The challenges of protecting our cyberspace is a collective national responsibility, it is a national assignment.
“As a sector, we would play our own responsibility objectively and professionally. We would work collectively rather than working individually as agencies since we are in the same sector,” he added.
Also, the Chairman of the Advisory Committee, Prof. Adeolu Akande, expressed gratitude to the minister for finding him and others worthy to be saddled with the very important national assignment.
He said the committee would work effortlessly towards delivering on its mandates of ensuring the protection of the nation’s cyberspace and ICT infrastructure during the elections.
“The committee members will do everything in their capacity to deliver on their terms of reference,” he said.
(NAN)