Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced intentions to establish a cybercrime response academy aimed at rehabilitating convicted cyber-criminals by providing them with useful digital skills.
EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede disclosed this development at the National Cybersecurity Conference in Abuja.
According to him, the academy will initially train 500 participants before expanding to 2,500 in the coming years.
Olukoyede stated that this approach is aimed at addressing alleged Nigeria's deep-rooted cyber-crime problem, and that these criminals will also be provided with monthly stipends to redirect their skills into legitimate careers.
“Some of these cyber-criminals have technical skills like coding, hacking, and/or proficiency in digital manipulation. The academy will leverage on all of these skills and direct them into legitimate industries like software development and cybersecurity,” he stated.
He believes that once trained, these criminals will help Nigeria improve its cyber resilience.
The EFCC additionally announced that it has launched its 24/7 EFCC Cybercrime Rapid Response Centre, a citizen-driven complaint tool for quick reporting and resolution of cyber-crime matters.
Olukoyede advocated for increased collaboration among regulators, enforcement agencies, financial institutions, and civil society, as well as ongoing investments in cyber security infrastructure and human capital.
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