In a bid to tackle cybercrime in Africa and the world at large, tech enthusiasts gathered in Lagos for a 2-day conference called CyberFest to discuss issues across Cybercrime and how Cybersecurity can help effect change.

The conference which was held at The Zone Conference Center, Gbagada, Lagos State, on Friday 17th, and Saturday 18th May 2024, tagged “Youth-Focused Approach To Tackling Cybercrime” saw a massive turnout of Nigerian youths who came to learn and discover ideas on how to curb the menace of Cybercrime in Nigeria, Africa and the world at large.

The keynote speaker of the event, the Head of the Cybercrime unit in the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs Jamila Akaaga Ade, spoke extensively on the effects of Cybercrime in today’s world and how bad parenting seems to be one of the root causes of rising cybercrime in the country, saying that parents are in the right place to shape their children’s future.

“Intentional parenting is key, the family is the foundation of society, and even God recognizes the family as a very important unit. Two individuals come together, become spouses, and give birth to children and that becomes a family.

“The family then makes up a community, a community springs up and becomes a society, and we go to state, country and nations. But we have to go down to the individual, how that person was parented, how that person was nurtured. The role of the family is very key, we need to go back to those values and morals that have been degraded, and we need to revive them,” she said.

She also spoke on the giant strides the Federal Ministry of Justice (FMoJ) has taken over the years in combating cybercrime and also change the mindset of the younger generation to think positively towards the use of Cyberspace

“The Federal Ministry of Justice is mandated to strengthen and enhance the legal framework on Cybercrime and Cybersecurity in Nigeria to such that the much-needed alignment with regional and international standards is achieved, international cooperation is maintained, and that cybercrime and cybersecurity matters are effectively prosecuted. And of course, for the Law Enforcement Agencies, they operate within their enabling laws,” she added.

Speaking on youths and keeping them from becoming victims or perpetrators of cybercrime, Jamila said the FMoJ is working assiduously to ensure that Cybercrime is being tackled from the roots by awareness creation.

“There’s one initiative which we started because preventive measures are key when it comes to issues of crime, such as cybercrime. Last year the Federal Ministry of Justice held the First Cybercrime Awareness in collaboration with the United States Embassy, Cybersecurity Education Initiative (CYSED), and other partners to inform Nigerians (particularly high schoolers) on the provisions of the Cybercrime Act, those conducts that are criminalized.

“Sometimes some people commit offences without even knowing that what they are doing is actually criminalized. So, it was basically to create awareness on those criminalized conducts under the Cybercrime Act,” she insisted.

On collaborating with international bodies to tackle cybercrime, Tim Galvin, who is the Africa Cyber Programme Manager, said the international security agencies like the FBI, Interpol, and others are in partnership with Nigerian security agencies to tackle cybercrime.

“Cybercrime is an international crime, which needs an international response, in Africa, we know at least 10% of GDP is lost through cybercrime, and across the world we have several countries which have various cyber immaturities. Africa is digitizing at a very rapid rate, but its ability to tackle cybercrime is not keeping pace with that rapid digitization. In the UK, we have our National Cyber Strategy, and under which strengthen Cybersecurity and resilience in Africa, funded through a UK integrated Security Fund. We deliver cyber capacity building PanAfrica but predominantly in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and Ghana,” he added.

Cybercrime has indeed affected the representation of Nigeria around the globe as many citizens face discrimination as a result of the high rate of cybercrime perpetrated by Nigerians. Patrick Essien and Olumayowa Akinkuehinmi shared similar ideas on these stereotypes.

Olumayowa said: “Like I say all the time, Nigeria has bad PR, when you mention Nigeria, they are thinking about cybercrime, drugs, and the likes, but when we talk about cybercrime, I will tell you Nigeria is not even in the top rank at all. When we talk about cybercrime it’s not just about internet fraud, we talk about top-rank ransomware, sextortion, and so many other types, but due to how Nigeria is being portrayed, it’s actually giving a red flag on the green passport, I shared my story on how I was delayed in a particular country and they took everything from me just to search and I had to walk in the airport barefoot. These are some of the things we go through but we won’t stop. I believe in Nigeria, and I believe the green passport will be stronger soon.”

In the same breath, Patrick Essien urged Nigerians in top tiers to portray themselves aright, build trust, and change the narrative of the country in their own little way.

Co-founder and Executive Director of CYSED, who is the organizers of Africa CyberFest, Moses Joshua, shared his deep appreciation to the youth who showed up in their numbers at the event to make it a memorable one. He also called on the Nigerian government to support initiatives like this to strengthen the fight against cybercrime.

“We need to empower young persons, there needs to be a collaborative effort in changing the narrative of the African youth. Just like I said in my remarks, we have a lot of young people in Africa, and if we can use these numbers well, Africa will not just be on the global map of excellence, it will be great for the next generation. So, the government needs to create a better platform to help youth to be able to explore their excellence, Nigerian youth are talented, and if given the opportunity, I believe it will add to our economic growth,” he said. (The Nation)

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