NCC puts cybercrime losses in Nigeria at $500m

Claims counterfeit devices pose danger to national security, QoS

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has disclosed that cybercrime remains one of the dangers of digital transformation in Nigeria and across the globe.
NCC noted that while the opportunities a digitally literate population pose economically, socially, and developmentally are immeasurable, conversely, the risks posed, especially coupled with a youth unemployment rate estimated by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) at about 45 per cent, are severe.

It noted: “We report that cybercrime alone, one of such risks, contributes to 0.08 per cent of the GDP loss, about $500 million. Tax evasion, terrorism, and health and safety violations are other risks associated with an increasingly digitally literate, mobile dependent economy. All these potential risks necessitate the need to have adequate tools and resources, backed by conscientious regulatory measures, to manage the growing mobile economy.”
The NCC disclosed this in its “Deployment of a Device Management System (DMS),” document uploaded, yesterday, on its website, with the title Project Information Memorandum (PIM).
DMS are a type of central remote management software used to monitor, manage and secure mobile devices that are deployed across the various mobile service providers, and across various mobile operating systems in Nigeria.
NCC said PIM is presented in fulfilment of requirement by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) for pre-qualification of firms or consortium of firms, as part of procurement of projects through Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
The commission said PIM has been prepared by the Transaction Adviser (TA) engaged by NCC for delivery of transaction services for deployment of a DMS solution under PPP model, which is to provide information for interested firms on deployment of DMS through PPP.
The telecoms regulator said the DMS system will create a single window for telecoms devices, enabling the NCC to proactively identify illegitimate or substandard devices that are not permitted on the Nigerian telecommunications network. The NCC intends to achieve the deployment of this DMS system using a PPP arrangement.
According to NCC, in this arrangement, the private partner will establish, operate and manage a DMS for the estimated 200 million telecommunications subscribers in Nigeria, adding that the DMS is expected to have the capability to address the proliferation of fake, counterfeit, substandard and cloned mobile devices in the telecommunications industry in Nigeria. (The Guardian: Excludes headline)