The Federal Government has commenced the training of Information Technology (IT) administrators in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to strengthen government networks against unauthorized access.
The five-day training programme on Technical and Organisational Drills on Data Protection Measures is being organised by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) in Abuja.
The training is an intensive, hands-on capacity-building programme designed to equip technical personnel in government institutions with the practical skills required to implement appropriate measures in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA), 2023.
Dr Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner of the NDPC, said that with digitisation becoming an integral part of daily life, cyber breaches are expected to occur frequently, underscoring the need to build human capacity to mitigate them.
“Every 39 seconds, a data breach occurs, with losses running into billions of dollars globally. Poor human capacity has been identified as a major contributing factor.
“One of the key initiatives we have put in place to combat and mitigate the effects of data breaches is the training of IT personnel in MDAs.
“Even in the European Union, about 94.7 per cent of breaches are linked to a lack of skilled personnel. That is the global average, and the situation is even more pronounced in Nigeria.
“Given the attacks we have experienced in recent months, we consider it important to create awareness among network administrators and data protection officers, ensuring they understand the measures needed to prevent cyberattacks,” Olatunji said.
According to him, it is essential to train personnel on both technical and organisational measures to safeguard networks and databases from unauthorised access.
The commissioner noted that failure to protect networks could result in financial losses and reputational damage.
“Those who attack networks do so for various reasons — to embarrass government institutions, for financial gain, or simply for amusement.
“What we are trying to achieve is to build a team of cyber warriors capable of protecting government networks against unauthorised access and attacks by cybercriminals,” he said.
Olatunji also disclosed plans to extend the training to Permanent Secretaries and heads of agencies, adding that discussions were ongoing with the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
According to him, the commission intends to adopt a top-to-bottom approach to training, enabling senior officials to better understand data protection measures and approve relevant policies, initiatives and budgets.
He added that the training aligns with the commission’s Strategic Roadmap, the objectives of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, and the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“We want to ensure the development of globally competitive human capital across all sectors of the country,” he said.
Dr Tolu Pius-Fadipe, Head of the Training Committee and Research and Development (R&D), said the programme was aimed at strengthening human capital development and fostering a culture of responsible data management.
“The purpose of these technical and organisational measure drills for government agencies is to test, validate and improve their ability to protect sensitive public data and maintain critical services during crises,” she said.
Mr Babatunde Bamigboye, Head of Legal Enforcement and Regulations, said the global cost of data breaches was estimated at about $23 trillion annually, adding that the average company could lose about $4 million as a result of a breach.
He said key data protection parameters include principles, accountability, the rights of data subjects, auditing, data management, ethics and education on data protection, among others.
More than 60 MDAs are participating in the training programme.
