NYSC DG Urges ICT Officers To Brace Up Against Cyber Attacks

The Director General of National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu has challenged the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Officers in the Scheme to be more proactive, strategic and align with the global best practices in securing NYSC’s digital assets against increasing cyber threats.

He said Management had prioritized investments in digital transformation, hence, the need for the ICT Officers to sustain the efforts by their intelligence, resilience and operations on the Scheme’s digital platforms.

General Nafiu stated this today while declaring open the 2025 ICT Officers’ Technical Capacity Building Workshop, with the theme; “IT Proficiency: Strengthening ICT Officers’ Capacity for Technical Support and System Administration”, held in Abuja.

Speaking through the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Dr Ahmed Wada Ikaka, the Director General charged the ICT Officers that their role is not auxiliary, but central to the mission of the Scheme, as the unseen architects of operational success, the gatekeepers of system integrity, and the problem-solvers behind the scenes, ensuring that NYSC processes run seamlessly, securely and responsively.

He also charged them to use the workshop as a strategic and imperative platform for deep reflection, skill renewal and capacity enhancement.

“I challenge you all to a wakeup call to excellence. Rethink how to secure NYSC’s digital assets in the age of increasing cyber vulnerabilities.

Standardize our processes across States, ensuring that the Scheme speaks with one technological voice and embrace the culture of innovation, that goes beyond problem-solving to value creation”, the DG stated.

The Director, ICT, Mrs Arunah Aminat in her welcome address said the workshop was organized to bridge identified performance gaps, equip newly appointed officers with foundational competencies, and update the skills of experienced officers in line with emerging IT trends and operational demands.

She stated further that the ICT Officers in the Scheme are key enablers of the digital infrastructure, whose actions have direct consequences on service delivery and operational credibility.

“We are in a dynamic era where information technology evolves rapidly, and the digital challenges we face today require more than just familiarity, they require expertise, agility, innovation and a deep understanding of secure and efficient systems management”, the Director said.

All the 36 NYSC ICT Desk Officers across the country, including the FCT Secretariat together with their colleagues at the National Directorate Headquarters in Abuja, were part of the participants at the workshop.