LASG constitutes cyber security advisory board

By Adeola Ogunrinde

In a bid to mitigate cyber security risks to its systems, assets, and data, the Lagos State government has set up a Cybersecurity Advisory Board to facilitate the design, implementation, and management of an effective cyber security programme.

The State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, made this known on Monday in a statement made available to newsmen, asserting that Lagos “is the first state to proactively constitute such a ‘forward thinking and strategic’ board—in consonance with its status as the pace setter for technology, innovation, and governance.”

“A major step to mitigate cyber security risks to its systems, assets, and data has been taken by the Lagos State Government.

“The government has set up a cybersecurity advisory board to facilitate the design, implementation, and management of an effective cybersecurity programme.

“Lagos State is the first state to proactively constitute such a ‘forward thinking and strategic’ board, in consonance with its status as the pacesetter for technology, innovation, and governance,” Omotoso said.

According to him, the Cybersecurity Advisory Board, whose membership was drawn from various fields with representatives also from state ministries and agencies, will make recommendations to the government on the development, planning, refinement, and implementation of policies, programmes, and training initiatives regarding its cybersecurity endeavours.

Some of the members of the board are: Dr Osakwe Fene, Amazon bestselling author, Forbes Technology Council member, and winner of the 2023 Global Cyber Educator of the Year Award in the United Kingdom; Mr. Taiye Lambo, first Chief Information Security Officer for the City of Atlanta; Dr. Bharat Soni, Chief Information Security Officer, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc; Chineye Chizea, security architect, World Bank/Federal Government of Nigeria Digital Identification for Development (ID4D) project; Ben Oguntala, former Cyber Security Project Manager, NFU Mutual Insurance UK; Dr. Obadare Adewale, Co-Founder, Digital Encode; and Commissioner for Innovation, Science, and Technology, Mr. Tunbosun Alake.

“Others are representatives from the Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology, the Ministry of Justice, the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), and the police.

“The Cybersecurity Advisory Board will make recommendations to the government on the development, planning, refinement, and implementation of policies, programmes, and training initiatives regarding its cybersecurity endeavours,” the commissioner stated.

“The Board is a multi-disciplinary and cross-functional group comprising professional cybersecurity industry leaders, public sector experts, members of ICT, law enforcement, education, media, etc.,” he added.

Speaking further, Omotoso noted that the need for a cyber-security framework and plan was necessary as Lagos State transited to a global digital future, saying that such was needed “as both inherent and residual risks are increasingly driven by global connectivity and the usage of cloud services to store sensitive data and personal information.”

He posited that the state was implementing a Smart City programme in line with its Themes Plus Agenda and projects that would result in a more connected future, pointing out that the data from these initiatives were invaluable assets that required digital protection.

Omotoso conveyed Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s heartfelt greetings to members of the Board and expressed the governor’s belief that constituting the body “would reassure investors that Lagos is not just the technology hub in Africa but a cyber-secure tech hub.”