Attaining the sustainable development goals using blockchain-based cybersecurity

Abstract

Sustainable development or sustainability refers to meeting the needs of the present generation while not compromising on the needs of future generation. The cyberspace has increasing become a tool for actualizing sustainable development given the increased volume of online transactions. However, the cyberspace has equally been used to perpetuate crime and criminality, culminating in high level corruption in the society. Corruption thrives in secrecy in governance, weakens state institutions, and promotes injustices in the society, making the actualization of the Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16) a mirage. Since SDG 16 is the cornerstone for the actualization of the remaining 16 SDGs, this vision paper proposed a blockchain-based cybersecurity system for engendering transparency and accountability in governance, using the Nigerian polity as a case study. We used Use Case diagrams and n-tier Component Diagram to explain how functionalities of blockchain technology can be used to address trust deficit occasioned by crime and criminality. We also harped on how the implementation of the proposed system can impact on the attainment of the SDGs by the target year of 2030.