By Nkechi Eze
As artificial intelligence makes it increasingly difficult to distinguish truth from digital deception, Nigeria has intensified calls for stronger cyber defences, tougher legal frameworks and international cooperation to protect citizens, critical infrastructure and national security from emerging cyber threats.
The Federal Government, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) made the call on Tuesday at the second edition of the International Cybersecurity Conference (ICSC) in Abuja, warning that AI-powered attacks, deepfakes, online fraud and digital manipulation require a new approach to cybersecurity.
The conference, themed “Cyber Resilience in the Age of AI: Defending Minds, Networks and Nations,” brought together stakeholders to explore strategies for strengthening Nigeria’s capacity to anticipate, withstand and recover from cyberattacks in an increasingly AI-driven world.
In his welcome address, the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said cybersecurity had evolved beyond protecting computer systems and networks, stressing that the growing use of artificial intelligence by malicious actors required a broader approach that addressed human vulnerability, digital sovereignty and national security.
“Cybersecurity is not something that can happen in isolation,” Abdullahi said, emphasising the need for countries to collaborate in addressing threats that transcend geographical boundaries.
He explained that while conventional cybersecurity focused on preventing attacks, cyber resilience was concerned with the ability of individuals, organisations and nations to recover from attacks and adapt to emerging threats.
“Cybersecurity is about us defending ourselves from attack, while cyber resilience is about our ability to bounce back after the attack has happened,” he said.
Abdullahi disclosed that the conference had attracted more than 700 registered participants, with nearly 200 organisations expected to participate, representing an expansion from the previous edition, which recorded over 600 participants from 175 organisations.
He said the decision to internationalise the conference was aimed at creating a platform for stakeholders from West and Central Africa and other parts of the world to exchange expertise and develop collective responses to emerging cybersecurity challenges.
The NITDA chief warned that artificial intelligence was increasingly being used to generate convincing voices, videos and images, as well as conduct sophisticated social engineering attacks designed to manipulate people’s perceptions and exploit their trust.
According to him, cybercriminals are increasingly targeting individuals because exploiting human vulnerabilities can be easier than penetrating well-secured computer systems.
He said the challenge was no longer limited to protecting digital infrastructure but also involved defending the human mind against misinformation, impersonation and AI-generated content designed to influence what people see, believe, read and think.
Abdullahi consequently called for increased public awareness and the development of effective mechanisms to distinguish authentic information from digitally manipulated content.
He also stressed the need for Nigeria to strengthen its digital sovereignty by improving control over its data, digital infrastructure, cloud technologies and emerging artificial intelligence systems.
As part of efforts to address these challenges, he disclosed that NITDA had issued the National Sovereign Cloud Regulatory Instrument to strengthen oversight of the country’s digital ecosystem, including data management, cloud infrastructure and AI technologies.
He added that the agency was working with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the National Assembly on reviewing the cybercrime legal framework and considering the development of a national cybersecurity architecture with minimum security standards for organisations.
The NITDA director-general further urged Nigeria to ensure that AI systems and agents deployed across its institutions reflected the country’s interests, cultural realities and linguistic diversity.
“We need to look at these AI agents: are they really representing us? Do they understand our ground, our culture, our languages? Do they work for us? Do we understand how they make decisions?” he asked.
Also speaking at the conference, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, represented by the Commission’s Executive Commissioner for Technical Services, Engr. Sunday Abraham Oshadami, called for stronger protection of telecommunications infrastructure against increasingly sophisticated AI-enabled attacks.
Maida described telecommunications as the central nervous system of Nigeria’s digital economy, noting that financial transactions, public services, business operations and everyday communications depend on secure and reliable networks.
He warned that cyber threats had become more sophisticated, with attackers deploying AI-driven phishing, automated credential attacks, deepfakes designed to circumvent authentication systems and malware capable of adapting to evade detection.
“The future of Nigeria’s digital transformation will not be judged merely by how fast our networks run, but by how securely they stand when tested,” he said.
The NCC chief executive explained that cyber resilience required organisations to develop systems capable of anticipating threats, withstanding attacks, recovering quickly and adapting to changing security conditions without disrupting essential economic activities.
He disclosed that the Commission had established the NCC Computer Security Incident Response Team (NCC-CSIRT) to monitor threats, coordinate intelligence sharing and strengthen incident reporting across the telecommunications industry.
He also highlighted the Commission’s Cyber Resilience Framework for the Nigerian Communications Sector, which establishes common security standards for licensed operators and strengthens coordination with national cybersecurity institutions, including the Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT).
Maida urged telecommunications operators to adopt Zero Trust Architecture, which requires continuous verification of users and devices, while ensuring that AI and machine-learning systems deployed within their networks are regularly audited for vulnerabilities.
He further emphasised the need for stronger collaboration 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.
“Cyber defence is collective defence,” he declared.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the legal framework for tackling cybercrime while ensuring that security measures uphold fundamental rights and the rule of law.
In a goodwill message, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, said technological advancement had significantly changed the nature of cybercrime, requiring laws and enforcement institutions to keep pace with emerging threats.
He identified business email compromise, cryptocurrency-enabled fraud, sextortion, child exploitation and AI-assisted deception among the increasingly sophisticated forms of cybercrime confronting countries.
Fagbemi said no country could effectively tackle the threats alone, stressing the importance of cooperation among governments, law enforcement agencies, private-sector organisations, civil society and international partners.
He noted that the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015, as amended, remained central to Nigeria’s response, while disclosing that work had advanced on a third executive bill to strengthen the country’s legal framework.
According to him, the proposed reforms build on Nigeria’s accession to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, its engagement with the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime and successive national consultations.
He said the objective was to strengthen the preservation and exchange of electronic evidence, improve investigations and prosecutions, and ensure that the fight against cybercrime remained consistent with human rights and the rule of law.
“Security must protect liberty, not become an excuse to undermine it,” he said.
The Attorney-General assured participants that the Federal Ministry of Justice would consider useful recommendations emerging from the conference in its engagements with the National Assembly, reiterating the government’s commitment to a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to cybersecurity.
He maintained that a nation’s cybersecurity strength depended not merely on its technological capabilities but also on effective laws, prepared institutions and the protection of citizens.
“A nation is not cyber secure mainly because it possesses advanced technology. It is cyber secure when its laws are effective, its institutions are prepared and its people are protected,” Fagbemi said.
The conference is expected to deepen discussions on AI-related cyber threats, strengthen partnerships among stakeholders and generate practical recommendations for improving Nigeria’s cybersecurity preparedness, protecting critical infrastructure and building a resilient digital economy.
