Blame customers for long queues In Nigerian banks, says Cybersecurity Expert
Renowned cybersecurity expert and researcher at the Africa Centre of Excellence, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife-Ile , Osun State, Dr. John Effiong. In this chat with STANLEY IHEDIGBO, Effiong blames long queues in Nigerian banks on customers’ unwillingness to embrace the future, which is clothed in technology. He also talks about other sundry burning issues.
What is the future of ICT, looking at it as a Nigerian?
ICT presents us with a very bright future. Of course, anyone complying with the ICT trend would have much to benefit from in the future. Just a few years ago, the emphasis was on computer literacy. Today, we are talking about the adoption of artificial intelligence in solving solutions. So, ICT presents a lot of opportunities, which I will say again, a large future, enterprises, and encompassing, to bring a lot of hope, innovation, and development to our society.
In the world generally, the Indians seem to be leading in the ICT sector; they are the ones heading most of Nigeria’s ICT unit; why?
The Indians and Chinese are seen to have an advantage in ICT, basically because of our education curriculum. The programme used in Nigerian universities and higher education was not designed in such a way as to promote practice skills. Like the Indians, whose education curriculum from the cradle is tailored to practice skills. So, from the earlier, the children are taught how to solve things rather than learning to write and speak good English. But in Nigeria, we struggle to get our children to learn how to write well and speak good English, forgetting the main thing that drives the world, which is technical skills. For me, the challenges in the curriculum that’s presented to us from kindergarten, where our children are learning the alphabet, rhymes, and songs, have nothing to do with the future in Nigeria. But in those countries, you will see a child of one year old being taught how to connect things, solve problems, code, and problems are presented to them. They will develop the child’s mental capability to solve problems. So, they get to think and learn, rather than teaching them how to speak good English. Many of those foreign countries children don’t speak good English, but they develop something that can help life. We need to overhaul our curriculum and infuse something that would solve problems in our immediate environment.
What are the responsibilities of the Ministry of Digital Economy, created by the immediate past president, looking at your opinion on the development of ICT in Nigeria and your assessment of the huge amount budgeted for the sector every year?
The Federal Government may be providing money for the development of ICT, but the funding is inadequate. They are not allocating enough money, and the little they are allocating, most times, doesn’t go into human capacity development. It goes into the infrastructure building of laboratories and centres, and where are the people to manage it? Also, if you built ICT centres or laboratories, you will need facilitators or manpower. For example, if the government builds a laboratory and the curriculum doesn’t provide provision for the lecturers to take the students to the laboratory, then there is no connection. Because the lecturers will not like to go outside the curriculum. So, while the government is funding the ICT development in Nigeria, the foundation, which is our curriculum, has to be addressed. Training of the manpower: the lecturers have to be trained because most of them were trained by the curriculum that has little provision for tech. For them to train tech leaders, they need to be trained and exposed. This means that half of the Federal Government budget for the sector should go into human capacity development. They are the people to manage the infrastructure, be it laboratories or centres, then, they will train the students, the future tech leaders.
You specialized in cybersecurity, and what does Nigeria stand to gain in the development of cybersecurity?
Because of the increase in digital adoption across the economy, everybody wants things solved online or to use computing services for solutions. Again, there is this mode we call the fourth industrial revolution, the era when everything in the house is digitalized. We have our mobile phones, televisions, wall clocks, refrigerators, and everything is controlled by a button. Even you can use your phone to control them, and it goes beyond the home. Now, where everything is interconnected, it gives room for people who would like to take advantage of the system. Privacy becomes a problem, and you want to hide some things from certain people. Some things should be confidential; your data on it needs to be protected, modulation against insecurity, and many other things. Cybersecurity has become a way of resolving these issues. To ensure that your data or system is secured and then that what you keep private should be confidential. That’s where cybersecurity comes in, to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of data. Also to ensure non-replication of data, which means if someone has access to a system, the person can’t deny it. For example, if you make a phone call and delete the call from your phone, we should be able to find out you made a call. Also, we should be able to say, this is what you said in your call. That’s what we call digital forensic investigation, which has to do with analyzing galvanized evidence and providing a report on whatever has transpired in the use of digital devices. Cybersecurity is a discipline with several dimensions. So, for Nigeria, because we have a population with massive penetration of mobile internet and phones. That means we have a market for digital products, and it is increasing in Nigeria, so the chances of data theft and modulation will also increase. It means that as it is increasing, we need to step up our efforts in securing the data and system. Cybersecurity now has a bright future for Nigerians because the more people buy things on the internet, the more they are likely to expose themselves to danger. As I said earlier, it is about protecting your privacy. You may make a call; someone will intercept your call and listen to what you are discussing. Even someone accessing your email box, or when you chat with a friend on Facebook or WhatsApp, another person will take advantage of that. In the hospital where your medical records are kept. Everybody that goes to the hospital has a medical history, and if the information is stored on a computer, it can be hacked and used against the person. We need to encourage the youth to go into cybersecurity, especially in the aspect of defence, because people will want to hack, and beyond hacking, we need to look for a way to defend systems, secure data analysis, and digital evidence and generate reports.
Looking at what you said about data privacy, what about the situation in Nigeria? Many agencies collect citizens’ data regularly, including the Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigerian Immigration Services, Nigeria Identification Management, and others. Is it not possible to have bank data where those agencies can go and get the citizen’s data rather than collecting it from individuals on different occasions?
The aspect of data collection as it were is a Nigerian problem. Because of the lack of data aggregation where different agencies, for example, if the Federal Government of Nigeria has a data bank of its citizens, and the different agencies have access to the data bank. There will not be a need for each of the agencies to collect data from the people regularly. Because we don’t have a data bank that can provide the pull of data of the citizens, that’s why those offices are doing what they are doing and something—the data they collect, they don’t need it or make use of it. They may need one piece of information from you, but before you know it, you have supplied a whole lot of information they don’t need. And those agencies can get that information from the people because they don’t know what the law says about giving out their personal information or data, or, I can say, because they don’t know the law. There is a data protection law that prohibits the release of certain personal data or information to anybody, be it an organization. For example, in Europe, there is what they call the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), which was formulated in 2004. What it simply does is provide security against the inappropriate use of personal or private data. Also, in Nigeria, we have the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Acts that secure personal data. Because most Nigerians are not aware of the acts, that’s why they allowed their data to be abused by some agencies requesting their information. I am aware that there is certain personal information we don’t need to provide to anybody, no matter the office. For example, you go to the hotel, and the receptionist brings out a form and asks you to fill it out with your blood group, date of birth, phone number, email address, and next of kin. For me, they are not needed by the hotel because that information can be used to harm the person if they want it, and if someone gets such information, they can use it against the individual. Even in the school where you applied for admission, they will require a whole lot of information they don’t need or will make use of. Asking you, your place of birth, your mother’s medium name, and next of kin are enough to fetch private information about the person and use it against the individual. Before I forget, including researchers, when they bring their questionnaires, some of the information they are asking from a respondent they don’t need or make use of. We don’t know, and we are ever already to supply our private information to anybody ignorantly. Honestly, ignorance is a major thing in Nigeria. Even when you go to the bank or do anything in financial institutions, they ask you for your Banking Verification Number (BVN) and National Identification Number (NIN). They collect your international passport or national driving license number and still ask for BVN or NIN. An international passport or national driving license is enough.
How can we relate cybersecurity activities with the issue of a tracking number, most especially those who use their phone numbers to indulge in crime, like kidnappers and bandits, and the most important aspect is that you see those people posting their activities on the internet and they are not able to be arrested or apprehended by the security agencies?
When it comes to terrorism or banditry, tracking them is not a problem. Rather, the problem is the lack of political will of the government of the day to do that. Because there are resources, tools, and experts that can provide the services to the Nigerian government. Even a Nigerian boy you see in the street who is into tech can help track those criminals, but the challenge is the political will of the government. For example, every call you make is recorded somewhere, and that record shows the conversation between two people or more, the caller and the receiver, as well as the time the call was made. It also shows the locations of the caller and receiver. That’s enough to track whoever needs to be tracked. Mobile communication companies are also there to provide information. If the data privacy acts prohibit such information, they have no option but to release it to the government because those laws are subject to the authority for requirements. For example, if someone defrauds you, or for any reason, your money is taken from the bank, and you go to the bank to complain. It takes forever for the customer to get his or her money back from the bank. The question is, does it mean that the bank doesn’t know how to get the person who took the money? The banks know what to do because they know the person who drew the money. There is no way you use an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) without a camera capturing your face, and so therefore, the bank can get the wrong person who took the money. If the person enters the banking hall to take the money, there is also a camera, and the person must provide some information on a document that gives the fellow access to the account. So, the records are there.
“Most of the customers don’t want to leverage it, and they are very proud to tell you that they don’t have an ATM card. They would rather go to the banks to queue and not interested in using mobile apps or Internet banking.”
This also applies to the kidnappers or bandits; they go to banks and filling stations, apply the roads, and security officers are on those roads. Also, it is not about tracking the criminals but to act on the reports. There have been several reports on criminal activities before the government. For example, in this country, we heard that an American citizen was kidnapped, and the government came and rescued the individual. Also, some countries are willing to help Nigeria put an end to those criminal activities. It is very important to note that ICT provides tools and solutions to solve problems, but the government has to give the go-ahead before it can be acted upon.
You made mention of banking activities, and it seems that ICT has not been harnessed in Nigeria. We still see queues in all the banks in Nigeria, and we thought that Internet banking operations would reduce customer service responsibilities and reduce queues in Nigerian banks?
Regarding the issue of the adoption of ICT in Nigerian banks, I have two dimensions. One aspect has to do with investing in ICT, and banks in Nigeria are making tremendous efforts, but it has to be given more push. They need to do more and invest in Fintech. To see that the infrastructure and services are well deployed and in use, of course, investment in ICT takes a lot of money. However, in Nigeria, banks, when it comes to spending, are always economical. So, while the skills and resources are there, they do not like to release money freely. The second aspect is the bank’s customers. Many of the bank’s customers are not willing to adopt banking ICT to solve their problems. Because most of the problems the customers go to banks complaining about are something they can resolve on their own with their phones. Most of the customers don’t want to leverage it, and they are very proud to tell you that they don’t have an ATM card. They would rather go to the banks to queue and not interested in using mobile apps or Internet banking. The banks have provided these services for the customers to ease their services too. Because most of the banks don’t want the customers to be coming to them, and that’s why those services were made available. For example, there’s this service called ‘Self Service’ in all the banks, on mobile phones, internet banking, or apps, which a customer can sit down at home or office and resolve his or her banking issues. The other day, I was trying to get a statement from UBA Bank. I filled in all the necessary information in Internet banking, and it didn’t come. I later called a staff member of the bank, and the person told me to ask ‘LEO,’ which is an artificial intelligence service. I chatted with LEO, and it replied by asking me what I wanted. I typed back that I needed was my bank account statement, and it requested from when, and I replied. The LEO sent the account statement to me in less than 30 seconds. It came out in Portable Document Format (PDF), and I printed it. Many of the customers will go to UBA Bank and spend hours, and I got it within 30 seconds. So, the bank is trying, and they can do more.
Lastly, what do Nigerians stand to gain with the World Bank project, which is your centre?
The centre provides an environment for innovations and resources for development. So, in our centre, if you have an idea, the environment is there for you to develop the idea. It is like an incubation centre where ideas are developed and funding is available for the idea to be developed into a product. And then, once it is a product, you can either sell it out or the centre register the product as a spin-off company, and there are many spin-off companies. They are companies that emerge as a result of research efforts. The World Bank has provided the environment, labs, and resources. I am in charge of one of the labs, Cybersecurity, and what we do is conduct research in cybersecurity, train, mentor, and develop cybersecurity solutions. Other centres, are robotics, artificial intelligence, drones, and others. The idea is to make the place the Silicon Valley of Africa, and the efforts are ongoing.
What is your advice as an expert to Nigerian youth who are using the opportunity of ICT to commit crimes, like cyber fraud, and others who are looking for a career to pursue?
Youths in every society are very energetic, innovative, and creative. If the potential they have is not directed properly, they can use it in the wrong way, and there is a tendency for that energetic youth to use his energy in the wrong way.
“The ones who have acquired the knowledge on their own will use it in the wrong way to make ends meet, except if the system engages them productively. Somebody will not buy a laptop worth N500,000 and be going around the cities looking for a job. The person will try to learn something to get his money back.”
So, that’s where mentorship comes in. Also, that’s where the provision of a suitable environment for idea development comes in. Nigeria, as a country, is supposed to provide such an environment where young people are mentored and productively engaged because once you don’t engage them in what you think is good for them, they will engage themselves in what they think is good for them. The ones who have acquired the knowledge on their own will use it in the wrong way to make ends meet, except if the system engages them productively. Somebody will not buy a laptop worth N500,000 and be going around the cities looking for a job. The person will try to learn something to get his money back. If the system provides the laptop to the person, he or she will follow the dictate of the system. And that’s missing in Nigeria; we don’t have people who mentor, guide, and support them. Then, when the opportunity comes up, they will explore it because nobody is willing to give them the opportunity. Just imagine that when you finish university, you are already 27 years old and the banks are asking you for 10 years of experience. Out of annoyance, if the banks refuse to give them jobs, they will target to hack the banks. Also, Nigeria’s system is not helping matters. If you get admitted into a government university at the age of 20 or less, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strikes will elongate your duration for a four-year programme. Even some graduates forged a declaration age to enable them to do National Youth Service. However, my advice for young people is that it is never good to use their energy on the wrong thing, no matter the situation they find themselves in, and one of the reasons is that there are laws that prohibit criminal activities. For those who are into illegal hacking, if they are caught, go to jail. This includes the internet fraudsters known as ‘Yahoo Yahoo,’ scamming, spamming, fishing, and those in physical theft, and immediately you are an ex-convict. There is a limit to how far a person can go in life. There are certain opportunities the person will not grab as far as you have that record of an ex-convict. Apart from that, one can get his or her destiny shortened for some crimes that attract death penalties, and as Africans, we cherish a good name because it is worth more than a million dollars.
What message do you have to a lot of youth who don’t know which career to embrace, looking at your field?
ICT is the only profession that’s friendly in the world and that can accommodate anybody, anytime. One can transition from any discipline to tech at any time. Once you make up your mind and are ready to flow, While the youth is preparing to enter university. To read whatever the person wishes, possessing ICT skills, is crucial because it has invaded all disciplines, mention it, law, medicine, agriculture, etc. ICT is everywhere, and whatever one wants to study should grab knowledge of ICT, especially those waiting for admission into the university.
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