Cybercrime: Nigeria Steps Up Awareness For Safer Online Environment

Nigeria is expanding the campaign against cybercrime, not only to increase awareness but also to secure the country’s online environment.

According to the Ministry of Justice, as technology evolves rapidly, the complexity and scale of cyberthreats increase, hence the need to tackle the dangers that come with the negative impacts of the internet.

During an awareness roadwalk, in Abuja, tagged “Don’t Fall a Victim, Don’t Perpetrate”, Nigeria’s Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mrs Beatrice Jedy-Agba, said the knowledge of cybercrimes and the law among the civil servants in Nigeria “will aid the government’s whole-of-government approach to effectively combat cybercrime as well as the implementation of the cybercrime law.”

Mrs Jedy-Agba was represented by the Director, Solicitors, Mrs Gladys Obegbero, who underscored the role of information technology in national development and affirmed that the Ministry of Justice is taking the lead in building stronger institutions.

“Considering the realities of the Nigerian civil servants and the service as a whole and the need for awareness campaigns to be targeted and focused on achievable goals by promoting specific attitudes and behaviours, the Federal Ministry of Justice is taking the lead in line with the goal of building strong institutions by embarking on a 3-day cybercrime awareness programme tagged “Don’t Fall Victim, Don’t Perpetrate”, Jedy-Agba said.

She stressed that the Ministry of Justice in collaboration with other government agencies and industry stakeholders will continue to sustain the campaign against cybercrime:

“Together, we can build a safer, more secure online environment for ourselves and future generations.”

Also speaking, Head of Cybercrimes Unit, Federal Ministry of Justice, Jamila Akaaga-Ade, explained that campaigns against cybercrime become imperative due to the massive switchover of government activities and personal dealings to the internet:

“Life is moving into the internet. Before now, you had meetings person to person; but now a lot of things have moved online, and it is even worse at post-Covid.”

She said the federal government has adopted a strategic document on cyber security, which gave birth to the Cybercrime Act that considers offences and penalty.