By Toffa Momoh, Abuja
The Africa Centre of Excellence on Technology Enhanced Learning, (ACETEL), National Open University of Nigeria, (NOUN) have trained security personnel which cut across various law enforcement agencies on the adoption of digital forensic to fight insecurity, cybercrimes in Nigeria.
The National Open University of Nigeria, (NOUN), also identified digital learning as the only way to adequately satisfy the demands for education in Nigeria.
The Vice-Chancellor, National Open University of Nigeria, (NOUN), Professor Olufemi Peters, stated this in Abuja on Monday, during the Digital Forensic and Incident Response Course organised by the Africa Centre of Excellence on Technology Enhanced Learning National Open University of Nigeria in partnership with Digital Footprints Limited.
The Vice-Chancellor, NOUN, who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, (Academics), Professor Uduma Orji Uduma, said that digital literacy and technology enhancement are inseparable, adding that digital literacy is the way to go in the twenty-first century.
According to him, digital literacy is the only way society can be made to freely assess education.
He reiterated the influx of cybercrimes in Nigeria, making a case for digital forensic, which according to him, is inevitable if the law investigation today is going to be meaningful.
He also emphasised that the Digital Forensic and Incident Response Course focuses on how to support the law enforcement agencies in their investigations.
The Professor stressed further that the Africa Centre of Excellence on Technology Enhanced Learning, (ACETEL), essentially seeks to develop skills and to support law enforcement bodies to acquire the technological-know-how that will position them on the right footing to be able to fight crimes in the twenty-first century.
A cross section of trainers
“Africa Centre of Excellence on Technology Enhanced Learning, (ACETEL) is one of the centres that the World Bank and Some international agencies are partnering with; So, it is a centre that has shown interest to assist in building capacity for other people. It is a centre of excellence for enhanced technological learning.
“ACETEL is a centre that broadens the frontiers of technology enhancement in education. We are in the twenty-first century where digital learning has become the only way to adequately satisfy the demands for education.
“And therefore, ACETEL is the centre of excellence that the World Bank and the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Universities Commission, (NUC), are using to identify those factors that are going to make advancement in the society” The Vice-Chancellor said.
He said the aim of the workshop is to train security personnel.
“Here we have about 19 security outfits in Nigeria, EFCC, ICPC, Customs, NAVY, ARMY, NITDA and so on. Most of the crimes committed today are committed digitally and to that extent this training is coming at the right time. There are lots of cybercrimes going on and this is what this workshop is tailored to do. At the end of this workshop it is expected that the beneficiaries would have built skills to identify information security threats.”
He identified funding as one of the challenges of the programme. “Funding is a major problem.” He said. Then the issue of capacity expansion is another major hurdle. “In Africa Centre of Excellence, we are doubling our effort in making sure that we are able to provide the needed services to the society.
“I can make bold to say that the dream of NOUN is being achieved. Why do I say so? Now the NOUN is an open and distant learning institution. The main aim is to open the frontiers, making access to higher education easier and NOUN has actually made it easier, by removing some of the barriers that are encountered in the conventional system.
“NOUN has been able to be delivered effectively to the public. This is evident in the number of people that have assessed our education. We are making giant strides. NOUN is living up to the bidding. We are living up to the mission and vision of the National Open University of Nigeria. What has made NOUN stand out among the conventional institutions of learning is our mode of delivery. The open and distant learning mode of delivery. You will recall that during the COVID-19 outbreak, so many higher institutions in Nigeria could not continue but NOUN moved on. We wrote our exams. There was no stoppage in what we are doing because we now know that in the twenty-first century, digital literacy is the way to go. We cannot talk about digital literacy without talking of technology. Our delivery is enhanced by technology. So many institutions, world over, have realized that digital literacy is the way to go. That is the only way to free up access to people.” Said the Prof.
He reiterated the influx of cybercrimes in Nigeria’s contemporary society, making a case for digital forensic, which according to him, “is inevitable if the law enforcement investigation today is going to be meaningful,” because the society is no longer faced with the kind of crime that was prevalent in the yesteryears.
“Digital Forensic focuses on how to lend credence to the law enforcement agencies in their investigations and therefore, it is imperative that awareness is carried out on digital forensic to be able to make meaningful impact in fighting crime.
“Cybercrimes are becoming increasingly alarming these days, hence there is a need for software or methodology to arrest the situation. The University Don hinted further.
Some of the organisations which are participating in the 5-day Digital Forensic and Incident Response Course include: the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC); the Independent Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences Commission, (ICPC); the Department of State Services, (DSS); the Nigerian Navy, (NN); the Nigerian Custom Service, (NCS); the Nigerian Immigration Service, (NIS); the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC); and the National Defence College, among other.
The Professor, who re-echoed the importance of the programme, bortresed that digital forensic cannot be jettisoned in achieving the target objectives, because it is the ability for the officers to make quick responses when there is need.
“Our aim is to put mechanisms in place to be able to check abuses that are embedded in social media. We support law enforcement agencies to develop reports that have to do with cyber crimes.” He said.
Also speaking, the Director, ACETEL, Prof. Grace Jokthan said the workshop delves into the fascinating world of cyber investigations, where various aspects such as evidence collection preservation, analysis, and the effective management of cyber incidents will be explored.
“Together, we will navigate through real-life scenarios and examine the latest trends and challenges in the field. By the end of this workshop, the trainers, which includes, among others, National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA); Federal Road Safety Corps, (FRSC); Nigeria Deposit Insurance Company, (NDIC); Defence Research and Development Bureau, (DRDB); Presidential Amnesty Programme and Federal Ministry of Communication and Digital Technology, will be better equipped to handle digital incidents, identify potential vulnerabilities, and mitigate future risks.” Director, ACETEL, Prof. Jokthan said.
Dr. Tombari Sibe, the CEO Digital Footprints, while giving an overview of the workshop, said in the last two decades there has been a radical adoption in a lot of areas from Banking to E-Governance, and very recently to Elections, a very important aspect of National life.
“As cybercrimes increase with the use of technology, it is important that as a Nation, we prepare our public service and private service for the highly sophisticated world of cyber security.” Dr. Sibe said, adding that the course was put together by ACETEL and Digital Footprints to equip the participants with the necessary skill-set both as a person and as a corporate entity to be able to stand the emerging threat landscape.
