CYBERSECURITY: IGP EGBETOKUN ASSURES OF IMPROVED SECURITY TO BOOST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has assured Nigerians of improved cybersecurity to boost economic development in the country. This assurance was made during a meeting with the Special Assistant to the President on ICT Development and Digital Innovation, Mr. Tokoni Peter Igoin, alongside a delegation of leading figures in Nigeria’s financial technology sector, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

In a statement, Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the visit focused on strengthening collaboration between the Nigeria Police Force and the fintech industry in combating cybercrime and enhancing national cybersecurity. Adejobi said delegates, including top executives from PalmPay, OPay, and TrikaHealth, pledged their full support for the IGP’s vision of leveraging Artificial Intelligence and other innovations to boost policing operations and secure Nigeria’s digital space.

The police boss expressed delight at the fintech sector’s demonstrated commitment to working closely with the Nigeria Police Force in safeguarding both physical and digital frontiers. “Securing financial technology platforms is central to protecting citizens, businesses, and the broader economic stability of the nation,” Egbetokun said. He further emphasized that with sustained collaboration, the deployment of advanced technological tools and resources by fintech companies will greatly enhance the Force’s capacity to combat cybercrime and effectively respond to emerging security threats within Nigeria’s digital space.

Egbetokun also played host to Ph.D. holders and postgraduate researchers of the Centre for Peace and Security Studies Alumni Association, Al Hikmah University, Ilorin, Kwara State, at the Louis Edet House, Force Headquarters, Abuja. They lauded Egbetokun for his remarkable strides in peace and security, particularly in community policing, crime reduction, technological advancement, and police–community relations initiatives. “We are eager to collaborate intellectually in deepening strategies and policies for effective policing and national security,” they said.

In response, Egbetokun assured the academia of the Force’s commitment to sustaining impactful and enduring collaborations that will strengthen public trust and enhance the nation’s security architecture. “The Nigeria Police Force remains open to engaging with all relevant stakeholders, including members of the academia, for intellectual collaborations that align with the reformative agenda of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, towards achieving a stable and secure Nigeria,” Adejobi quoted Egbetokun as saying.