The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says they have agreed to enhance their partnership to improve cybersecurity in Nigeria.
The agreement was reached on Wednesday during a meeting between Adesola Akinsanya, NIRA President, and Ola Olukoyede, EFCC Executive Chairman, at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
The two organisations have been collaborating since March 2023 under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) focused on capacity building and cybersecurity training.
In October 2024, the EFCC unveiled a 24-hour Cybercrime Rapid Response Desk designed to facilitate rapid digital information exchange on internet fraud and ensure an immediate response from the Commission. The service provides both local and international telephone numbers through which the EFCC can be reached around the clock for matters related to cybercrime in Nigeria and globally.
EFCC Chairman: We’ve recorded mind-boggling convictions from cyberspace
The NiRA President says that the success of their first joint project with the EFCC Academy in July 2023 and proposed annual training programmes to strengthen cybersecurity expertise. “We are looking at doing this annually, especially in cyber security and we believe this will go a long way in adding value to what you do,” Akinsanya says.
Olukoyede welcomed the proposal, saying that the collaboration addresses cybercrime.
”Our mandate covers cybercrime, so there is a need for us to work together. Our engagement will surely be beneficial to the country. The mind-boggling convictions we have recorded from cyberspace will shock you,” the EFCC Chairman says.
Olukoyede also reveals that the EFCC would review the existing MoU to identify areas for improvement, particularly in light of changes to laws and regulations.
“So,” the EFCC Chairman says, “it is extremely important we strengthen the collaboration. You are one of our stakeholders. So, I will direct that we look into the MoU already on ground and see where we can make some adjustments if need be, due to changes in laws and regulations and then let’s see how we can engage more from time to time. So rest assured of our commitment towards this partnership.”
The collaboration between NIRA and the EFCC dates back to March 2023, when both entities signed an MoU focused on capacity building in cybersecurity. The inaugural project under this MoU took place in July 2023 at the EFCC Academy, aiming to enhance the skills of personnel in tackling cyber threats.
In October 2024, the EFCC unveiled a 24-hour Cybercrime Rapid Response Desk designed to facilitate rapid digital information exchange on internet fraud and ensure an immediate response from the Commission. The service provides both local and international telephone numbers through which the EFCC can be reached around the clock for matters related to cybercrime in Nigeria and globally.
Nigeria has been grappling with significant cybercrime challenges. In 2022 alone, the country lost over $500 million to cyber-related offenses. In an earlier statement, the commission revealed it had secured 3,455 convictions and recovered over N248 billion between October 2023 and September 2024.
NIRA, which manages Nigeria’s country code top-level domain (.ng), brings technical expertise in internet governance to the partnership and hopes that by working with the EFCC, the collaboration will help to “sanitise Nigeria’s cyberspace.”
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