President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday kicked against the mislabelling and blanket stereotyping of Nigeria as a country with the highest prevalence of cybercrime and other forms of corrupt practices among its population.
According to him, this undermines the majority of the citizens maintaining the principles of integrity and diligence.
The President made the observation on Wednesday during a Public Engagement on Youth, Religion, and the Fight Against Corruption, as well as the Launch of Inter-Faith Manual and Fraud Risk Assessment Project for MDAs in Abuja.
He regretted that over the years, the entire Nigerian populace had been linked with internet crimes without statistical proof, a development he said is out of tune with the way of life of the typical Nigerian citizen.
The event organised by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is a multi-dimensional stakeholders’ involvement in the fight against economic and financial crimes.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, he noted that on the contrary, Nigerians are meticulous, authentic citizens who have been making significant contributions to innumerable fields of endeavours around the world.
Tinubu stated: “Over the decades, Nigerians have been victims of mislabelling. Such gross misrepresentation fails to reflect the true essence of our diverse and resilient nation. The association of internet crimes with the entire Nigerian populace lacks statistical evidence and does not align with the sociology of everyday Nigerians.
“Our nation comprises hardworking, honest citizens who contribute significantly to various fields globally, from Artificial Intelligence to medicine.
“While we reject blanket stereotyping that undermines the majority upholding principles of integrity and diligence, we must face the fact that we function in an interconnected world where cybercrimes have evolved into a global phenomenon. This poses a threat not only to our nation but to the entire world,” Tinubu stated.
