The Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE has disclosed that growth and potentials of digital economy depends on the trust in the internet and cyber space.
Abdullahi made this disclosure today in Abuja while delivering his opening remarks at the Information Assurance Workshop, a two day event put together by the Agency, in conjunction with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, (OSGF).
The Director General who was represented by the Director, Information Technology Infrastructure Solutions, Dr Usman Gambo Abdullahi, stated that the boom in digital economy is delicately balanced with equivalent threat that could bring organisations and nations to their knees with colossal damage arising from financial and reputational losses to cybercriminals, hence government and industries need to enhance their cyber security in the wake of these evolving threats to online activities.
While acknowledging that the digital economy is estimated at 22.5 percent of the world’s economy and yet has not been fully exploited, the NITDA boss maintained that digital investments have a growth multiplier effect in the national Gross Domestic Product, (GDP). “The Nigerian digital economy is known to account for up to 13.8 percent of the nation’s GDP, it is therefore obvious that the digital economy is a platform to increase the growth of the national economy”, he said.
According to Abdullahi, the workshop is planned to bring together efforts of all government organisations to combat one of the growing threats to economies, personal and national security globally. He therefore advised government and industries that migrate online should find effective ways of reaching out to citizens and find efficient ways of carrying out their businesses.
– Story by NITDA