Nigeria’s cybersecurity sector must move beyond awareness campaigns and focus on skills development, Olusegun Olugbile, “Cybersecurity Advocate of the Year” award winner at the 2024 National Information Technology Merit Awards (NITMA) says.
Speaking exclusively with Technology Times, Olugbile described cybersecurity as a dynamic area and multi-disciplinary area that needs a shift in priorities. “For us, skill development is one of the areas that we are looking to because we have discovered that Nigeria is not yet there,” he says.
The NITMA event, organised by the Nigerian Computer Society (NCS), in Lagos on Thursday, celebrates individuals and organisations driving innovation and technological development across the country.
Cybersecurity is no longer an IT field, he explains. “it is a multi-disciplinary intervention programme that cuts across all sectors. As long as you digitise your operations and people, cybersecurity will always be forever fantastically needed.”
Nigeria’s cybersecurity sector faces ‘financial brain drain’
Olugbile, a cybersecurity advocate, was honoured for his contributions to policy formulation, education, and skill development, which have significantly impacted Nigeria’s cybersecurity ecosystem, according to the award organisers.
Olugbile who is an Advisory Council Member, Nigeria Cybercrime Advisory Council, reflected on key milestones in his advocacy, including the establishment of a legal framework and the integration of cybersecurity into national education. he says that “where we are going now is to enter the innovation realm. We want to ensure that Nigerians develop innovative skills because, without those skills, we are not yet there.”
With over two decades of experience in cybersecurity, data protection, and digital policy, Olugbile is the founder of the Global Network for Cybersolution, a group established in 2008 to promote cybersecurity development. Over the years, he has been involved in creating Nigeria’s National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy, as well as frameworks for institutions like the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre and Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERT).
The lack of advanced skills in Nigeria’s cybersecurity sector poses risks of “financial brain drain” due to reliance on foreign experts, he tells Technology Times. “We want to look at the area of skill development but we also want to look at the area of research, because most of the cybersecurity knowledge that we have for now, most of them are at the management level, usually from governing, risk, and compliance levels.”
According to him, “we have not gotten to the core of technology in cybersecurity, there’s a need for us to deepen our research. I want to see a scenario where Nigerian universities begin to set up centres of excellence in cybersecurity.”
Cybersecurity is no longer an IT field, he explains. “it is a multi-disciplinary intervention programme that cuts across all sectors. As long as you digitise your operations and people, cybersecurity will always be forever fantastically needed.”
He notes that while over 5,000 Nigerian youths are studying cybersecurity, many lack the practical and innovative skills needed to drive job creation and economic growth, Olugbile says noting the importance of formalising the cybersecurity industry. Despite over 5,000 Nigerian youths studying cybersecurity, he says that the sector remains informal.
“I’m very happy that Nigeria Computer Society took it upon themselves at least to bring the awareness to the level of the professional ecosystem. Now, we’re going to see a changing landscape, we are going to see integration of cybersecurity skills and professional skills in our youth and a lot of empowerment and job creation across systems,” Olugbile says.
The awardee’s contributions extend beyond Nigeria, with roles in regional and international cybersecurity advocacy. He has served as an advisor to the United Nations Secretary-General on cybersecurity issues and co-chaired the UN Cybersecurity Best Practice Forum, leading experts from over 150 countries. In recognition of his efforts, he was named Honorary Ambassador of Internet Governance by the UN in 2014.
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