The era of some Nigerians Internet enthusiasts striving to access certain websites endlessly would soon be over as a tripartite plan have been advanced to make this nightmare a bye gone.
The Nigerian Internet Registration Association (NiRA), said it’s collaborating with the nation’s Directorate of Cybercrime and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to fight online fraud in the country and ensure smooth access for patriotic Nigerians of all sites on the Internet.
Champion Infotel recalls that currently several domains globally have blocked Internet access for browsers emanating from Nigeria.
Chairman, NiRA, Mr. Ndukwe Kalu who made this disclosure in a chat with Champion Infotel in Lagos, said that the association is in constant dialogue with both EFCC and Cybercrime directorate with the view of collaborating in fashioning out a lasting solution to online fraud as it affects the country and to ensure that Nigerians have free access to any websites on the Internet.
This, he said would be the result of a tripartite collaboration between the two government agencies and NiRA, a formation of Internet stakeholders in the country set up to encourage Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in promotion of the Nigeria country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD), dot ng.
He pointed out that NiRA has consulted with these agencies and the responses have been positive.
“Now we have spoken to the directorate of Cybercrime in Nigeria and we’re going to come out with tripartite arrangement with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),” he declared.
Mr. Kalu also said that the effort of the collaboration is to make sure that Nigerian-based Internet Protocols (IP) are removed from the block by these networks.
He added that it is not fair to say that all the fraudulent online mails come from Nigeria, but because wrong information has been flying around so long that some of these networks do not want to be involved with any Nigerian Internet Protocols.
“No, its just that they heard so much and don’t want to like be involved,” he said, adding that the proposal is to inform these networks the efforts the government and private sector are making in ensuring Nigerians have free and unhindered Internet access at all times.
“We would tell them, look we have what we call due diligence by these networks and if you have any form of fraud mail from them, inform us and we would trace back because these networks are working hand-in-hand with us,” he said.
The outcome of the collaboration, he said, is called the Network Integrity Initiative (NII) intended to open up the whole world to Nigeria and with the due diligence initiative which EFCC and other law enforcement agencies are implementing, any fraudulent activities would be tracked.
“That’s a clean way to open up .ng to Nigerians and the world, because a lot of people have said that if we have our website as dot this dot ng, a lot of people out there would immediately think it’s a fraudulent site,” he asserted.
He emphasised that NiRA is working hard to change this perception.
“It is a matter of perception because even in Kenya, every body is there and there is no serious company that is in that country that is not on .ke. In fact you have to be proud of Kenyans and we are trying to build that confidence here with .ng,” he said.
I think this is a very good begining. Though a bit late. But think its better than non. Also, still have another opinion about this idea but will prefer to keep it to myself (at least for now) while we watch the progress of things.
ReplyDeleteLateef Olajide
Head Marketing
www.internetmarketingnigeria.com