U.S. Consulate General hosts seminar on cybersecurity

Abimbola Abatta

The U.S. Commercial Service, on Thursday, hosted a seminar attended by Consul General Will Stevens that connected cyber security professionals in the Nigerian banking, telecoms and FinTech sectors to the services and opportunities provided by the American software company SAS.

In his opening remarks, Consul General Stevens emphasized the importance of increasing collaboration between the United States and Nigeria on cybersecurity to help secure the digital economy now and into the future.

According to him, “Financial institutions are leaders in the technical revolution happening in Nigeria. While they stand to reap the rewards of this essential transition, they also bear a responsibility to ensure tomorrow’s financial system remains stable, reliable, and safe for consumers and institutions.”

He explained that partnerships with American companies like SAS are beneficial for both countries’ economies and will lead to diversifying and expanding the cyber-related options available in Nigeria.

“The U.S. Mission in Nigeria looks forward to working with the American and Nigerian business community in the coming years to continue advancing the much-needed digital transformation,” he added.

In his presentation, Head of Customer Advisory for SAS South Africa, Stephen Wessels, discussed the role of analytics in protecting and securing the financial services industry.

“SAS advanced analytics helps to manage increasing regulatory demands, stop fraud in its tracks, and maximize return on capital,” Wessels said.

Meanwhile, U.S. Commercial Service is the trade promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce based in Lagos that facilitates connections between Nigerians and U.S. products, services, and partners.