Expert Identifies Role Of Digital Identity, Cybersecurity In Enhancing National Security

A Nigerian cybersecurity professional based in Washington State, Ayobami Peter Olatunji has emphasized the critical role of technology in combating crime and enhancing national security in Nigeria. Ayobami, since 2018 has been a prominent advocate for using technology to create a safer environment, particularly in Africa and other developing regions.

Discussing the role of technology in national security, the cybersecurity expert highlighted the need for a robust digital identity system in Nigeria.

He noted that many countries in Africa view technology as a way to create jobs for people. “While technology can indeed fulfill that role, it is crucial to understand that technology can also be a vital tool in creating enabling environments and enhancing national security.

Addressing Nigeria’s situation, with her population of about 200 million citizens, Ayobami stressed the need for a digital identity for everyone.

“Currently, the country has a National Identity Number (NIN), which is intended to serve as an identifier but is not fulfilling its purpose, as a significant number of people still do not have the number. Another problem with the NIN is the existence of multiple numbers associated with an individual without proper synchronization.

“A citizen can have a Bank Verification Number (BVN), a Telephone Number, a passport number, etc., with activities from these various numbers not being properly linked. This kind of system creates a great vacuum in the digital space and can lead to issues such as identity theft and inadequate tracking by government agencies, which can slow down the delivery of benefits, tracking criminals among others.

“As countries around the world tap into the benefits of digital identity, it is important to understand that before realizing these advantages, the associated risk factors and uncertainties must be addressed, at such, the solution must be professionally planned.”

Ayobami urged the federal government to establish a proper framework for carrying out digital identity project for citizens. He stated that the government should first focus on ensuring the visibility of the population as this would enable better understanding of the type of digital technologies to adopt.

“The roadmap for population growth should also be planned to choose scalable technology that can accommodate future growth. The data collection method needs to be clearly defined—what information is needed to identify individuals, how it will be collected, and who will collect it. The policy and roadmap must be detailed enough to accommodate such planning, as they are crucial criteria in developing a robust digital solution. The collected information must be stored centrally, encrypted, and hashed.

“While many platforms can offer such solutions, the government needs to evaluate whether a platform should be developed specifically for this purpose. Regardless of the approach adopted, decentralizing digital identity storage which is the present system adopted by the government with various systems like NIN, Passport, BVN etc presently, will not benefit the nation. Therefore, any platform used for storage must be centralized and meet the security requirements for highly confidential/sensitive information.”

Ayobami further stated that if the government follows this approach, Nigeria will be able to create a solid digital identity for all citizens, enabling the government to track criminals by identity, gain insight into various details such as population density in geopolitical areas, identify unemployed individuals.

Ayobami holds several certifications, including CompTIA Security+, Exterro Forensic Certified, and Microsoft Azure Fundamentals. He is a passionate advocate for technology education, having founded clubs at both the University of Ilorin and Western Illinois University. He has also authored over 10 articles on cybersecurity, sharing his knowledge and insights with others in the field.