Buhari sets up committee to protect cyberspace, ICT infrastructure during elections

President Muhammadu Buhari has inaugurated a committee to protect the cyberspace and information communication technology (ICT) infrastructure during the 2023 general elections.

The committee would advise the federal government on appropriate measures to take to protect the nation’s cyberspace and ICT infrastructure from potential attacks as citizens go to the polls.

Buhari was represented by Isa Pantami, minister of communications and digital economy at inauguration, according to a statement by Reuben Muoka, director of public affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), on Thursday.

The president also said the committee would work to coordinate computer security centres in the ICT industry in collaboration with other relevant institutions towards intercepting potential cyberattacks.

He said with the increased role of ICT in online activities, and its crucial role in the conduct of the 2023 general elections, the inauguration was in line with the electoral act, as amended.

Buhari added the committee would also ensure it receives complaints around any attacks on critical infrastructure and ensure such complaints were escalated to relevant institutions — public or private — for necessary remedial actions.

“Our main responsibilities in this committee are more advisory. Firstly, when it comes to intercepting potential attacks that may come to our cyberspace,” he said. 

“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.”

THE COMMITTEE AND ITS AIM

Buhari also 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), and mobile network operators (MNOs), among others.

The committee, he said, would work with the agencies to safeguard 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,” he added. 

“As a sector, we would play our responsibility objectively and professionally. We would work collectively rather than working individually as agencies since we are in the same sector.”

He noted that the job of the committee, which would be to assist the nation in conducting free, fair and credible elections; would be led by Adeolu Akande, chairman of NCC.

The panel would work from Friday, February 24, till Monday, February 27, 2023, he added.

Members of the committee include Pantami, Umar Danbatta, executive vice-chairman of NCC; Kashifu Abdullahi, director-general of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mohammad Abubakar, chief executive officer, Galaxy Backbone; Aminu Ahmad, special assistant to the minister on digital economy; among others.