The minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has said the Computer Emergency Response and Readiness Team (CERRT) built and upgraded by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) will reduce attacks on Nigeria’s cyberspace and enhance safety for users.
He made this known during the official commissioning of the Digital Studio for Virtual Learning; Computer Emergency Response and Readiness Team and the agency’s new Logo, Vision and Mission as well as the newly reconstructed NITDA office yesterday in Abuja.
He said the three projects were strategically built in line with Digital Economy Policy and Strategy of President Muhammadu Buhari for a digital Nigeria.
The minister pointed out the existing CERRT was upgraded with world-class facilities to meet the needs of the present reality and to mitigate and reduce further attacks on the country to a bearable minimum.
This, he said, would go a long way in complimenting the efforts of the administration in tackling the high wave of insecurity in the country and put the economy on a better footing as well as boosting the anti-corruption war.
On the Digital Studio, the Minister explained that the goal is to attain most of the key priority areas of the President, particularly capacity building on digital skills.
‘‘The upgrade of the CERRT is in alignment with the three priority areas of President Muhammadu Buhari, which is to promote security.
‘‘Today there are many challenges with regards to security based on what is happening online. With CERRC teams, we will be able to be the watchdog of the federal government, monitor potential cybercriminals attacks on our country, come up with policies and strategies to see how we can prevent our country from the attacks or at least reduce it to the barest minimum.”
‘‘Digital media studio is also in alignment with the programme of the president.
“What we try to achieve with these projects is to ensure that these key priority areas. Through digital services we will be able to attain most of the programmes of the president.’’
For the logo, the Pantami said the old one was changed in line with the new thinking and policy direction of the government which has moved from focusing on ICT to now digital transformation, saying that plans were ongoing to rebrand every parastatals under the ministry for optimal service delivery.
‘‘The old logo was changed because the policy of government has changed. Before now, we have been working on IT Policy since 2009. But today, the world has gone digital, leading to the renaming of the ministry.
Earlier in his address, the director-general of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, alluded to the importance of the centre to security, the digitalization of the country’s economy and the rebranding of the agency.
Abdullahi said with the upgraded CERRT, our cyberspace would be insulated from frequent attacks and save from the country from loss of huge resources.
And with the new NITDA logo, the NITDA boss said that the agency is better positioned to prioritize its goals for digital Nigeria.
While promising to redouble his effort, he promised to put the digital to empower build capacities on digital skills.
