Nigeria’s Defence Minister Bashir Magashi has stated it is time for the African giant to dominate cyberspace and deny cybercriminals of its illegal use.
Magashi said this at the opening of the 12th National Security Seminar of the Alumni Association of the National Defence College (AANDEC) on Tuesday, April 18 in Abuja.
He said Nigeria could not afford to maintain the status quo as warfare is now fought in different more technical ways.
“Improved situational awareness is often made possible by technology. It is time to demystify the forests being a haven for criminals,” he said. “It is time to dominate cyberspace and deny the cybercriminals of its illegal use without detection and arrests.”
He announced that the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) had made strides recently, manufacturing drones, light weapons, vehicles and Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles.
“In this regard, the Defence Research Development Bureau (DRDB), the Defence Space Administration, and other technology-driven agencies’ efforts to improve security operations are commendable steps in the right direction.
“Our security forces have performed well in international operations, and at home, they can do even better by improving their level of performance with the use of technology, especially since criminals and terrorists are applying technology in their nefarious activities,” he said.