Skip to main content

Tech Giant, Microsoft To Partner Nigeria On Cyber Security, Data Protection Development

Cyber security

The company made this known on Wednesday when its Government Affairs Lead, Nonye Ujam paid a working visit to the Nigeria ID4D project office in Abuja.

Microsoft, one of the biggest American multinational technology companies, has indicated interest to partner with a Nigerian digital identification firm - the Nigeria Digital Identification for Development (ID4D) on data protection development.

 

 

 

The company made this known on Wednesday when its Government Affairs Lead, Nonye Ujam paid a working visit to the Nigeria ID4D project office in Abuja.

 

 

 

A statement by the Nigeria ID4D’s Manager of Communications, Walter Duru, on Ujam’s visit, made available to SaharaReporters on Thursday, stated that the Microsoft Government Affairs Lead extolled the ID4D project for its timely intervention on data protection and digital identity in Nigeria; during which, Ujam expressed the readiness of Microsoft to collaborate with the project to ensure its success.

 

 

 

"We are here to ensure that we support you to make things work very well. We are happy with the achievements Nigeria ID4D has recorded in such a short period.

 

 

 

"Microsoft Corporation has made a lot of investments and interventions in capacity development and cyber security. Beyond supporting governments in the area of capacity development, Microsoft meets their stakeholders where they are, hand-hold and close identified gaps.

 

 

 

“As people are working hard to upgrade and update themselves, that is how hard the bad players are working to update their skills. This is why we must take data protection and cyber security very seriously," the statement quoted Ujam as saying.

 

 

 

Reacting to Ujam’s visit and partnership proposal, the Project Coordinator of the Nigeria ID4D, Musa Odole Solomon, also assured the firm’s readiness to partner with Microsoft.

 

 

 

Solomon said, "We are open to collaborating with as many relevant stakeholders as possible to ensure that the project succeeds. We want the capacity of ecosystem implementing partners enhanced."

 

 

 

Solomon, who gave more explanation on data protection in Nigeria and the objectives of the project noted that "the project is working very hard to ensure that a principal law is in place. We are constrained by time, considering the fact that elections are close. We are battling to ensure that we balance the urgency with quality.

 

 

 

“It will not just be done quickly, but also done very well. Stakeholders engagement is an ongoing activity and Microsoft is our major stakeholder. We are ready and willing to work with you.

 

 

 

"We are happy with your interest in capacity development. We operate an ecosystem model and our implementing partners need to benefit from the capacity-building plans. It is one of our deliverables and we are willing to partner with Microsoft to close gaps in capacity."

 

 

 

The Project Coordinator then called on Microsoft Corporation to consider extending support to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and other ecosystem implementing partners.

 

 

 

He invited Microsoft to the second leg of Focus Group Discussion on Nigeria's Data Protection law which is scheduled to hold in Lagos on September 1 this year.

 

 

 

According to Solomon, part of the activities to be featured in the Lagos engagement include a courtesy call on the leadership of Microsoft Corporation in Nigeria; Conversations around data protection, capacity development and other areas of collaboration.