ABC to build capacity, raise talents in cybersecurity

The American Business Council (ABC) has launched a virtual Cybersecurity Hub to focus on building capacity and raising homegrown talents in diverse areas of cybersecurity.

The hub, launched in partnership with Comercio Limited and NITDA IT Hub at the University of Lagos, will be open for all including non-university students, and it will focus on raising talents with the capacity to build solutions.

Speaking at a virtual launch and media parley held recently, Margaret Olele, executive secretary of ABC, said Africa and Nigeria are becoming increasingly susceptible to issues around cyber threats underscoring the need to provide solutions that will safeguard critical infrastructure.

She said Nigeria needs to look into education, training, research, policy development and investment in cyberspace to curb threats, adding that the Council is also partnering with the Office of the National Security Adviser, the National Talent Export Programme and Cisco.

The hub, she said, will through advocacy, facilitate government and private sector investments in grooming people that can bridge the gap.

Aderonke Adeyegbe, CEO of Comercio Limited, said COVID-19 accelerated digital transformation and Africa needs to get its cybersecurity strategy right through policy initiatives and capacity building.

She said Nigeria has a lot of unemployed and brilliant young population that can be trained in the space to create a talent factory for Nigeria and the rest of the world.

“There is a shortage of cybersecurity skills globally and given that almost every process has gone online, it has become important that cybersecurity strategy is brought to the front burner, ” she said.

Giving insight into the essence of the hub, Victor Odumuyiwa, director of NITDA IT Hub at the University of Lagos, said there is a shortage of talent in cybersecurity, and it creates room for increased cyber-attacks in a digitalised world without security infrastructure.

“We want to grow competent cybersecurity talents that meet the needs of the industry and promote entrepreneurship. We are yet to identify homegrown cybersecurity solutions and there is no way Nigeria can grow as a nation by depending on only technology from other nations,” he said.

He said the hub will not focus on training only Computer Scientists alone but will involve different people from diverse fields and empower them with the knowledge to secure their cyberspace.

“We want to create cyberspace nationwide through the virtual hub for learning, build entrepreneurship skills and create new entry points for cybersecurity learning and innovation,” he added.