WITH MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES REGARDED AS THE BEDROCK OF A DEVELOPING ECONOMY, OVER 41 ESTABLISHMENTS WITHIIN THIS SECTOR IN NIGERIA ARE SET TO BENEFIT FROM A DIGITAL PROJECT, AIMED AT PROTECTING THEM AGAINST CYBERATTACKS AND PROVIDING MORE INCLUSIVE, AFFORDABLE, SAFE, AND SECURE DIGITAL ACCESS
THIS WAS THE HIGHPOINT AT THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE CYBERSECURITY TOOLKIT FOR SMES IN LAGOS, SPEARHEADED BY THE UK FOREIGN COMMONWEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE (FCDO) IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CYBERSAFE FOUNDATION AND KPMG AS WELL AS THE OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER, ONSA
SPEAKING AT THE LAUNCH, THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER, BABAGANA MONGUNO, THE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER WHO WAS REPRESENTED AT THE EVENT BY DR BALA FAKANDU, THE DEPUTY ADVISER OF COMMUNICATIONS, ONSA SAID THAT EVOLVING CYBER THREATS HAS MOSTLY AFFECTED SMES DUE TO THEIR RELIABILITY ON INTERNET AND DIGITAL DEVICES TO REACH LARGER POPULATION.
THIS IS AS THE BRITISH DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER TO NIGERIA, BEN LLEWELLYN-JONE SAID THE PROJECT WAS AN ESSENTIAL TOOL DESIGNED TO PROVIDE SUSTAINABILITY TO 100 MILLION SMES IN NIGERIA.
ON HER PART, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CYBERSAFE FOUNDATION, CONFIDENCE STAVELEY, ADDED THAT PROTECTION AGAINST CYBER CRIMINALS IS VITAL TO THE GROWTH OF THE NIGERIAN ECONOMY AS OTHER STAKEHOLDERS HARPED ON THE NEED FOR MORE AWARENESS AND EDUCATION TO MANAGERS OF SMES
MEANWHILE, THE VULNERABILITY AND IGNORANCE OF MANY SMES ESPECIALLY THOSE BEING MANAGED BY WOMEN TO CYBER THREAT WAS HIGHLIGHTED AS THE CALL FOR ADDITIONAL SENSITIZATION WAS MADE TO PROTECT THEIR ONLINE ACTIVITIES
ACCORDING TO INTERPOL’S AFRICAN CYBER THREAT ASSESSMENT REPORT PUBLISHED IN OCTOBER 2021, “90% OF AFRICAN BUSINESSES ARE OPERATING WITHOUT THE NECESSARY CYBERSECURITY PROTOCOLS IN PLACE BUT IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE GAP WOULD BE NARROWED WITH THIS INITIATIVE, BEARING IN MIND THAT THE PROTECTION OF SMES FROM CYBER HARM IS CRUCIAL FOR INCLUSIVE GROWTH AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION
