Poverty, Cybercrime and National Security in Nigeria

Abstract

The number of poor people in Nigeria continues to grow at an exponential rate, while Nigeria remains the poverty capital of the world. As a result, cybercrime has become a haven for youths. The festering of cybercrime increases the chances of cyberterrorism, hate speech proliferation, and radicalization – all of which pose a danger to national security in Nigeria. As a result, this study adopts an analytic approach to the interplay of poverty, cybercrime, and national security in Nigeria. The findings reveal that poverty is a major driver of cybercrime in Nigeria while cybercrime is a threat to national security. It shows that with the prevalence of poverty, deprivation, and inequality, many Nigerian youths turn to crime to realize the Nigeria of their dreams. In the same vein, cybercrime undermines national security by exposing various individuals to violence, cyberespionage, cyberstalking, and manipulation. The study, therefore, recommends that decisive policies be targeted at reducing poverty incidence in Nigeria and that youths should be regularly sensitized to the dangers of cybercrime and the incapacitating effect it has on national security. More so, cybersecurity should be given prominence by the Cyber Advisory Council while offenders of cybercrime should be dealt with using the full extent of the law, to serve as a deterrence to intending offenders.