The Lagos State Government has launched a major cybersecurity project under plans to protect digital infrastructure safety from cyber threats.

Under the plan, the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwolu has established a Cybersecurity Operation Centre (CSOC) to serve as a base for monitoring, detecting and responding to cyber threats and attacks in real time, Mr. Olatunbosun Alake, Commissioner for Science, Innovation and Technology said on Monday. 

The Commissioner, who announced the cybersecurity project during the 2024 Ministerial press briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, said that project aims to protect the state against existing and potential cyberattacks.

What is inside the Lagos State Cybersecurity project?

The Commissioner hinted that the project involved the collaboration and support from unnamed partners whom he described as “leading cybersecurity firms and international organisations.”

Adding to the list is the establishment of a cybersecurity council, constituting experts from both public and private sectors, whose responsibility will be to make recommendations to the government, planning, refinement and implementation of policies, programmes and training initiatives regarding its cybersecurity endeavours.

According to the Commissioner, the project will create an opportunity for job creation where services of experts will be employed alongside technologies, while also fostering advancement in technology usage.

Data Protection Compliance Project
Speaking on data Protection Compliance Project, Alake said that “the State has embarked on sensitisation and awareness workshops for all Heads of Accounts, Procurement, Planning, Legal Officers, D&HR, Medical Directors, Body of Permanent Secretaries, Cabinet members, Head of Cadres Statewide and for 43 MDAs; as well as the establishment of 70 Data Protection officers in various MDAs.”

According to him, the data protection compliance project aims to ensure the safety of the rights of natural persons to data privacy, preventing manipulation of personal data.

MetroFibre Project
The MetroFibre Project according to the Commissioner, seeks to achieve a 24-hour driven economy that would allow companies to operate in a safe and secure environment, thereby creating a more conducive environment for business, jobs creation, and increasing the GDP of the state. Also, to build a digitised 24/7 city, Lagos state implemented 2,700km of unified fiber ducts across the State in Phase 1, to be completed with 3,300km for phase 2.

Alake said that the Safe City project in Lagos involves the deployment of intelligent video cameras in strategic locations within Lagos State with 450 surveillance cameras already deployed at strategic locations across the city. The execution and completion of the rollout of other cameras have been spread over points in time, in Phases I, II, and III, respectively.