The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, and the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, and the National Assembly, have called for stronger cybersecurity measures, improved collaboration among government agencies and updated legislation to protect Nigeria’s digital infrastructure against increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence-driven threats.
The call was made at the second edition of the International Conference on Cybersecurity, where the agencies’ representatives, lawmakers, legal practitioners, security experts and industry stakeholders examined the challenges posed by emerging technologies. The conference was themed “Cyber Resilience in the Age of AI: Defending Minds, Networks and Nations.”
Speaking at the event, NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said the growing use of artificial intelligence by cybercriminals had made it necessary for organisations and governments to move beyond conventional cybersecurity approaches towards building the capacity to withstand and recover from attacks.
Abdullahi explained that cybersecurity primarily focuses on preventing attacks, while cyber resilience concerns an organisation’s or nation’s ability to recover when security breaches occur. He noted that artificial intelligence had become a powerful tool for both attackers and defenders, making the security landscape increasingly complex.
“Cybersecurity is about us defending ourselves from attacks, while cyber resilience is about our ability to bounce back after an attack has happened,” he said, stressing that organisations must prepare for attacks rather than assume their systems would always remain secure.
The NITDA chief warned that cybersecurity threats were no longer limited to computer systems and digital infrastructure, as attackers increasingly exploited human behaviour, trust and vulnerabilities to achieve their objectives.
According to him, artificial intelligence can generate convincing voices, videos and images, making it increasingly difficult for people to distinguish genuine information from manipulated content. He questioned the reliability of online information and urged Nigerians to develop stronger digital awareness and critical thinking skills.
Abdullahi said, “Hackers focus more on hacking people than systems because it is easier to hack people to get what you want than hacking the system itself.” He added that protecting citizens against AI-enabled deception and social engineering must become a national priority.
He further emphasised the importance of securing interconnected networks, noting that a breach affecting one organisation could expose other institutions and systems connected to it. He maintained that Nigeria’s digital security depended on the collective strength of individuals, businesses, government agencies and critical infrastructure operators.
Abdullahi disclosed that NITDA had been working with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the National Assembly on reviewing Nigeria’s cybercrime legislation and strengthening the country’s policy framework. He also highlighted efforts towards developing a national cybersecurity architecture that would establish minimum security standards for organisations.
The NITDA director-general identified digital sovereignty as another essential component of cyber resilience, asking whether Nigeria had sufficient control over its digital infrastructure, data, technology and technological future. He said the country needed effective risk-management frameworks and the capacity to make independent decisions about the technologies it deployed.
He also highlighted the National Sovereign Cloud Regulatory Instrument issued by NITDA, describing it as part of efforts to strengthen national control over data, cloud infrastructure and emerging technologies. He added that AI systems and digital agents must reflect Nigeria’s cultural values, languages and interests while operating transparently and responsibly.
Executive Vice-Chairman of the NCC, Aminu Maida, represented by the Executive Commissioner (Technical Services) of the Commission, Engr. Sunday Abraham Oshadami, said telecommunications infrastructure had become central to Nigeria’s economy, supporting financial transactions, public services, business operations and everyday communications.
He warned that artificial intelligence had transformed the speed and scale of cyberattacks, with malicious systems capable of operating far faster than traditional human-led attacks.
According to him, the country must prepare for AI-powered phishing, automated credential attacks, deepfakes designed to circumvent authentication measures and malware capable of changing its behaviour to evade detection.
The NCC representative said cyber resilience required the capacity to anticipate threats, withstand attacks, recover from disruptions and adapt to changing security conditions without crippling the country’s economic activities.
He stressed that the commission’s responsibility extended beyond regulating telecommunications services to protecting consumers and ensuring the reliability and security of communication networks.
He explained that the NCC had established a Computer Security Incident Response Team for the communications sector to monitor emerging threats, coordinate intelligence sharing and facilitate incident reporting. He also said the commission’s cybersecurity resilience framework provided a common security baseline for licensed telecommunications operators, with coordination involving relevant national cybersecurity bodies.
The representative identified three major areas requiring attention: protecting people, securing networks and strengthening national cooperation. He urged telecommunications operators to adopt zero-trust security architecture, which requires continuous verification rather than automatically trusting users or devices, while ensuring that AI-powered network systems were regularly examined for vulnerabilities.
He added that cybersecurity awareness must become part of organisational culture and public life, enabling individuals to recognise suspicious communications and manipulation attempts.
He also called for closer cooperation among regulators, telecommunications operators, financial institutions, security agencies and international partners, warning that an attack on one critical sector could have consequences for several others.
In a message delivered on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, the Director of Public Prosecutions in the Federal Ministry of Justice, Rotimi Iseoluwa Oyedepo, SAN, said Nigeria’s laws and enforcement institutions must keep pace with technological developments.
Fagbemi warned that cybercrime had expanded beyond online fraud to include threats to financial systems, national security, personal dignity and public trust. He cited business email compromise, cryptocurrency-enabled fraud, sextortion, child exploitation and AI-assisted deception as examples of increasingly sophisticated and transnational offences.
The Attorney-General disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Justice had advanced work on a draft executive bill to strengthen Nigeria’s legal framework, building on the country’s engagement with international cybercrime agreements and consultations. He said the proposed reforms were intended to address emerging technologies, improve the preservation and exchange of electronic evidence, and strengthen investigations and prosecutions while protecting fundamental rights.
“The objective is clear: laws that respond to emerging technologies, facilitate the preservation and exchange of electronic evidence, support effective investigation and prosecution, and uphold human rights and the rule of law,” the message stated. Fagbemi added that security measures must protect liberty rather than become an excuse for undermining it.
Speaking earlier, Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu, Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, has called for stronger collaboration among Nigeria’s technology and security agencies to address emerging cyber threats and accelerate the growth of the country’s digital economy.
“We can no longer continue to operate in silos. We need to come together and stay together in one room,” he said.
The senator also proposed the development of a national cybersecurity resilience index to assess how well organisations protect their systems, networks and data against cyberattacks.
According to him, a measurable rating framework would help organisations understand their security weaknesses and identify areas for improvement.
“You cannot manage it until you are able to measure it,” Salisu said, stressing the need for a framework to evaluate cybersecurity resilience across organisations in Nigeria.
Similarly, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, Hon. Stanley Adedeji Olajide, warned that cybersecurity remained a constantly evolving challenge, particularly with the growing adoption of artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
Drawing from his experience in the technology sector, Olajide explained that advances in digital infrastructure continued to introduce new security risks, requiring governments and technology professionals to regularly review existing laws and protection systems. “Security is a moving target.
The moment you think you understand everything to do with cybersecurity, you will realise that there is still a lot more to uncover,” he said.
Olajide urged stakeholders to approach cybersecurity challenges with fresh ideas and a spirit of international cooperation, warning that cyberattacks could have consequences beyond the disruption of computer systems.
He also highlighted the connection between cybersecurity and food security, noting that attacks on critical digital infrastructure could threaten essential services.
Both lawmakers called for sustained collaboration among government agencies, industry experts and international partners to strengthen Nigeria’s cyber resilience and contribute to a safer digital environment across Africa.
NCC, NITDA, AGF, National Assembly demand stronger cybersecurity measures against AI-driven threats