The Nigerian Army has developed electronic warfare capabilities, according to Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), and is now utilising the convergence of electronic and cyber warfare.
When the Nigerian Army Cyber Warfare School (NACWS)’s inaugural cyber security workshop was launched on Monday in Abuja, Lagbaja made this statement.
The workshop’s theme, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), is “Role of Information Technology to National Security against Emerging Threats and Cyber-attacks.”
The COAS stated that the Nigerian Army had in the past achieved very little progress in its attempt to acquire electronic warfare capabilities. He was represented by Maj.-Gen. Sanusi Dahiru, Deputy Director-General, Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre (NAHFC).
He claimed that the restriction, which was mainly brought on by the expensive cost of the equipment and the army’s lack of technical expertise, had been removed.
This is because ICT networks rely on the countless characteristics of the electromagnetic spectrum for their vital connectedness in cyberspace, an environment where many actors operate to produce exponential impacts as compared to other domains.
“Therefore, I implore the school to continue and grow this relationship until we have the skills necessary to fill the position of the second eleven in this sector.
“The workshop should not only focus on cybersecurity but also on cyber warfare, as this will equip the Nigerian Army with expertise and knowledge of integrating cybersecurity into military doctrine and tactics as well as examining the role of cyberwarfare in contemporary military operations,” he said.
According to Lagbaja, cyber threats can originate from a variety of groups and individuals, including foreign organisations, hacktivists, governments, gangs, and criminals. He also noted that cyberattacks are increasingly focusing on critical infrastructure, including power grids, financial systems, healthcare facilities, and government networks.
He continued by saying that because cyberspace had developed into a new theatre of operations and would surely be a point of contention in future wars, Nigeria, like other modern civilizations, was increasingly depending on it for its operations.
The Nigerian Army Cyber Warfare Command (NACWC) and NACWS were set up to mitigate the dangers posed by this domain.
In order to protect the significant expenditures already made, we also need to band together to ensure that this endeavour is effective and efficient.
“I am especially delighted with the school’s determination to use its resources not only to promote academic achievement but also as a practical method of delivering solutions to current and future security concerns, which is in line with the upkeep of my command philosophy for the Nigerian Army.
“For all the participants, you must use this one-time opportunity to learn as much as you can, open up new vistas and perspectives so that we can accomplish ground-breaking results for the Army and the country as a whole,” he added.
