The authorities of Niger are carrying out several initiatives aimed at improving the rate of internet coverage in the country. Along with wanting to develop the Internet, the government plans to create a legal framework for effective digital transformation.

The Nigerien government has adopted a new National Cybersecurity Strategy to strengthen the country’s digital transformation. The information comes from the report of the Council of Ministers held on Tuesday 27 December.

This initiative aims to “  ensure a sustainable and effective digital transformation in Niger  ”. It also aims to “  consolidate the confidence of investors and the public in information and communication technologies  ”. The project will span five years, starting in 2023.

The National Cybersecurity Strategy will be implemented around four main axes. This concerns the protection of digital uses by the population through the strengthening of the legislative, regulatory and institutional framework; the protection and securing of national critical infrastructures through capacity building of operational structures and human resources; the strengthening of confidence and security in the use of ICTs through the establishment of mechanisms for the prevention, detection and repression of cyberattacks; and the promotion of public-private and public-public partnership in cybersecurity through the strengthening of national, regional and international cooperation.

This program comes one year after the study on the development of the Internet launched by the government in October 2021. The objective was to enable the Nigerien authorities to concretely understand the environment and national policies of the Internet, to assess the digital ecosystem, identify the gaps to be filled in order to make the Internet a tool for development.

It should be noted that since 2018, the World Bank has been working alongside Niger to develop access to the Internet, both in urban and rural areas, and to make connectivity a tool for socio-economic growth.

Source: Agence Ecofin