The Federal Government said it is taking decisive steps to secure Nigeria’s digital economy by strengthening cybersecurity infrastructure, building human capacity, and harnessing the opportunities offered by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, disclosed this while delivering a keynote address titled “Securing Digital Economy: Strengthening Infrastructure and Harnessing the Power of Artificial Intelligence” at the Cyber Nigeria Summit, organised by the Cybersecurity Experts Association of Nigeria (CSEAN).
Inuwa described the digital economy as the “heartbeat of Nigeria’s development agenda,” noting that the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector contributes about 17 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while digital technologies influence nearly every aspect of national life. According to him, the services sector alone accounts for 58 per cent of national output, underscoring the deep integration of digital tools in the economy.
He, however, cautioned that the rise of AI has introduced new complexities to the cybersecurity landscape. While AI enhanced productivity and innovation, it also provided cybercriminals with more sophisticated tools to execute attacks with greater precision. “Cybercrime now costs the world over 10 trillion dollars annually, making it the most lucrative form of crime globally,” he said, citing a World Economic Forum report that ranks cybersecurity among the top five global threats.
The NITDA boss stressed the need to design infrastructure that embeds security from the foundation up, noting that digital infrastructure now extends beyond servers and networks to include utilities, telecommunications, and autonomous systems. “If a hacker gains access to an autonomous car, the consequences could be disastrous,” he warned.
Inuwa identified data, computing power, and algorithms as the three critical elements of AI systems that must be protected to ensure digital trust. He also highlighted human error as the leading cause of cyber incidents worldwide, responsible for up to 95 per cent of breaches.
According to him, Nigeria’s cybersecurity strategy rest on four key pillars: governance, capacity building, incident management, and collaboration. Under the governance framework, he said the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act and a recent Presidential Executive Order designating critical digital information infrastructure as part of Nigeria’s national assets have strengthened policy coordination and accountability.
On capacity building, Inuwa emphasised the need to close the global cybersecurity workforce gap estimated at 4.4 million professionals worldwide and over 140,000 in Nigeria. He said the government’s 3 Million Tech Talent (3MTT) initiative and the National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF) aim to address this by training Nigerians in high-demand digital skills and embedding cybersecurity education across all levels of learning.
He disclosed that the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre (NCCC), established under the Office of the National Security Adviser, is now fully operational and coordinates responses to cyber incidents nationwide. Sector-specific Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) have also been created in finance, communication, and law enforcement sectors to enhance rapid response and coordination.
Inuwa further underscored the importance of collaboration, stressing that cybersecurity cannot be achieved in isolation. He said Nigeria continues to work closely with the African Union, Smart Africa, international CERTs, and major global technology companies to strengthen collective defence mechanisms.
He urged Nigerians to practise good cyber hygiene by using strong passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication, and avoiding phishing scams. He also encouraged prompt reporting of cyber incidents to promote transparency and collective resilience.
Inuwa added that NITDA, in partnership with the Office of the National Security Adviser, is working to establish a National Cybersecurity Architecture that will promote accountability, information sharing, and a unified national defence strategy for the country’s digital ecosystem.
