E-Business
NITDA DG Says FG On Course to Secure Digital Economy in the Age of AI
Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi CCIE, the Director General of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has said that Nigeria is taking decisive steps to safeguard its digital future by strengthening cybersecurity, enhancing infrastructure, and building human capacity to harness the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
He stated 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 while ICT contributes about 17 percent to the country’s GDP, digital technologies influence nearly every sector of the economy. The service sector alone, he said, accounts for about 58 percent of national output, demonstrating the deep integration of digital tools into everyday life.
He cautioned that the rise of AI has further transformed cybersecurity dynamics. While AI enhances productivity and innovation, it also equips cybercriminals with advanced tools to execute attacks with greater precision and scale. “
Cybercrime now costs the world over 10 trillion dollars annually, making it the most lucrative form of crime globally. The World Economic Forum ranks cybersecurity among the top five global threats, showing that our strategies must evolve beyond physical protection,” he said.
Inuwa noted that securing Nigeria’s digital economy begins with designing infrastructure that prioritises security from the foundation. Digital infrastructure, he said, now extends beyond servers and networks to include utilities, telecommunications, and even autonomous vehicles.
“If a hacker gains access to an autonomous car, the consequences could be disastrous,” he warned. He emphasised that AI systems depend on three critical elements: data, compute power, and algorithms, which must all be protected. “If any of these are compromised, the entire system becomes vulnerable.”
He also pointed out that human error remains the leading cause of cyber incidents worldwide, accounting for 90 to 95 percent of breaches. Despite two decades of global awareness efforts since Cybersecurity Awareness Month began in 2004, this figure has remained constant. “Cybercriminals exploit human weakness because it’s easier to manipulate behavior than to break through advanced systems,” he explained.
According to him, cybersecurity in Nigeria is built on four strategic pillars: governance, capacity building, incident management, and collaboration. Under the governance framework, the Nigerian Cybercrime Act provides the foundation for coordination and accountability. Recently amended to reflect emerging digital realities, the Act is complemented by a Presidential Executive Order designating critical digital information infrastructure as part of Nigeria’s national assets. “This milestone allows our cyberspace to be recognised and protected as a national highway,” he said.
On capacity building, Inuwa highlighted the growing global demand for cybersecurity professionals, with an estimated gap of 4.4 million workers worldwide and over 140,000 in Nigeria alone. He described this gap as an opportunity for national empowerment, given Nigeria’s youthful population. Through initiatives such as the 3 Million Tech Talent (3MTT) programme, the government aims to train Nigerians in 12 high-demand digital skills, including cybersecurity.
He further cited the Digital Literacy for All initiative and the National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF), which target 95 percent digital literacy by 2030 and 70 percent by 2027. Starting next year, digital literacy, including cybersecurity, will be taught from kindergarten through tertiary institutions. This policy, he said, will nurture a digitally conscious and responsible generation.
The third pillar, incident management, focuses on rapid response and coordination. Inuwa revealed 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. Sectoral CERTs have also been established in key areas such as finance, communication, and law enforcement, ensuring a more unified national response.
He stressed that collaboration remains essential for success, as cybersecurity cannot be managed in isolation. Nigeria, he said, works closely with the African Union, Smart Africa, international CERTs, and major global technology companies to strengthen collective defense mechanisms.
The DG urged Nigerians to adopt good cyber hygiene, using strong passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication, and avoiding phishing scams. He also encouraged prompt reporting of cyberattacks, emphasising that transparency is vital for collective resilience.
In partnership with the Office of the National Security Adviser, NITDA is working to establish a National Cybersecurity Architecture that promotes accountability, information sharing, and unified national defense.
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has introduced so-called Nigeria’s Certified Cloud Register, regulatory framework developed under the agency’s National Sovereign Cloud Initiative to determine which cloud providers are authorized to handle sensitive data, such as banking records.
In effect, from October, NITDA requires banks, fintech companies and other regulated organisations to source cloud infrastructure providers from a national register of certified firms approved to host sensitive financial and government data.
The Certified Cloud Register, is expected to strengthen data sovereignty, improve regulatory oversight and support the implementation of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) data localisation policy, which takes effect on January 1, 2027.
Under the framework, banks, fintechs, government institutions and other regulated entities will be able to verify whether cloud service providers, data centre operators, managed service providers and Artificial Intelligence (AI) infrastructure companies have met NITDA’s certification requirements before entrusting them with critical digital workloads.
The initiative is expected to provide regulated institutions with a standardised process for selecting cloud infrastructure providers that satisfy Nigeria’s technical, security and regulatory requirements.
According to NITDA, the framework establishes “a common national standard, an independent assessment process and a public register of approved providers that banks, fintechs and government institutions can rely on when selecting cloud infrastructure partners.”
The register is expected to become a key compliance tool ahead of the CBN’s directive, which requires all payment transaction data generated within Nigeria to be stored and processed locally, effective from January 1, 2027.
The policy applies to deposit money banks, microfinance banks, mobile money operators, payment service providers, switching companies and other financial institutions.
The certification regime is also expected to reshape Nigeria’s cloud computing ecosystem, making regulatory approval a major requirement for cloud providers seeking to handle sensitive data for regulated industries.
Figures cited by NITDA showed that Nigeria’s 10 largest banks spent about N177.91 billion on information technology in the first quarter of 2026, representing a 31 per cent increase over the corresponding period last year.
A sizeable portion of the investment currently supports cloud infrastructure hosted outside Nigeria, a trend the new certification framework is expected to address by encouraging greater utilisation of compliant local infrastructure.
NITDA said the certification programme will apply the same technical and regulatory standards to indigenous cloud providers and international hyperscale operators, creating a level playing field for all companies seeking to provide cloud services to regulated sectors.
The agency also disclosed that more than 85 per cent of Nigerian businesses currently rely on cloud services, with the majority using infrastructure hosted outside the country.
It said the new framework is aimed at improving confidence in Nigeria’s digital infrastructure while promoting local capacity and enhancing oversight of critical national data.
Speaking on the objective of the initiative, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, director-general of NITDA, said the programme is designed to strengthen Nigeria’s position in the global digital economy rather than exclude foreign technology companies.
According to him, the initiative is intended “to redefine the terms under which Nigeria participates in the global digital economy rather than isolate the country from international technology providers.”
The Certified Cloud Register forms part of broader efforts by the Federal Government to deepen digital trust, strengthen cybersecurity and ensure that critical financial and public sector data are managed in line with Nigeria’s evolving data governance and sovereignty objectives.
At the recent Cyber Security Weekend 2026 conference, Kaspersky shared the findings from its survey titled “Cybersecurity in the workplace: Employee knowledge and behaviour” which was conducted among employees from the Middle East, Turkiye and Africa (META) region.
The study highlights that everyday IT habits, including decluttering computers and reducing digital fatigue, can have a direct and often underestimated impact on an organisation’s cyber resilience.
The Kaspersky survey points to a growing challenge of digital fatigue in the workplace. 13.5% of employees surveyed in the META region confirmed that they made IT-related mistakes due to a lack of cybersecurity knowledge – a figure that shows the critical importance of continuous cybersecurity training and awareness programmes.
Among other reasons behind IT mistakes, respondents cited being in a hurry (30%), oversight (14%), being tired or stressed (12.9%) and having too many notifications (10%). The constant barrage of alerts, messages, and on-screen clutter is becoming an acute problem that can lead to costly IT errors, overlooked social engineering attacks, and even to cyber breaches.
The survey also examined employees’ digital workspace habits. An overwhelming 44.5% of respondents in the META region reported having between 10 and 20 icons on their desktop, while 30% admitted to having even more – with half to a full screen covered in them.
Meanwhile, 33% of respondents also keep more than 10 tabs open in their browser at any given time. Excessive icons and open tabs do more than distract attention and fuel procrastination – they can slow device performance and, in the case of unused applications, quietly collect data.
Interestingly, most employees regularly disinfect their keyboards and phone surfaces (21.5% have adopted this habit since the COVID pandemic). However, digital cleanliness has not kept pace: 55% of respondents remove needless files once a month or more often; the rest perform digital clean-ups far less frequently – once a quarter, or even once a year.
Managing digital noise is key to staying alert: only essential notifications should remain active, especially during periods of deep focus on critical project deliverables. Regular breaks are just as vital for maintaining both well-being and cyber vigilance.
According to the survey, 78% of respondents spend their work breaks eating or drinking, while 58% chat with friends and colleagues. However, stretching and physical exercise is a more effective way to relieve stress and recharge focus – a habit adopted by only 14% of employees.
“It is important to recognise that digital fatigue is a real and growing stress factor: the constant stream of notifications, cluttered screens, and information overload gradually erode focus and make employees far more susceptible to mistakes and social engineering attacks. Simplifying your digital environment is not just a productivity tip, it is a cybersecurity measure”, says Brandon Muller, senior security consultant for the META region at Kaspersky.
Pan-African digital rights organisation Paradigm Initiative (PIN) has warned that violent extremist groups are increasingly exploiting digital platforms to recruit, radicalise and manipulate young people across the Sahel region.
The organisation raised the concern in a new policy brief titled “Digital Frontlines: Countering Online Radicalisation and Violent Extremist Narratives in the Sahel.”
According to the publication, extremist groups are shifting from traditional recruitment methods to digital platforms, including social media, encrypted messaging applications, short-form video platforms and online financial incentives, to target vulnerable populations.
PIN noted that unemployed youths and people facing insecurity and limited economic opportunities are particularly susceptible to online recruitment campaigns.
The organisation said that although governments have intensified efforts to combat violent extremism, responses to the digital dimension of the threat have failed to keep pace with rapidly evolving online tactics.
It argued that addressing online radicalisation requires more than surveillance and restrictive measures, recommending investments in digital literacy, stronger community resilience, improved early-warning systems and credible counter-narratives.
PIN also urged governments to work closely with technology companies and civil society organisations to disrupt extremist recruitment while protecting citizens’ digital rights.
The report further highlighted the growing convergence between organised crime and violent extremist groups, noting that online propaganda increasingly promises financial rewards, belonging and purpose to vulnerable young people.
According to the organisation, this trend underscores the need for policymakers to prioritise prevention alongside conventional security responses.
Speaking on the findings, Moussa Waly SENE, Programmes Officer for Francophone Africa at Paradigm Initiative, described the digital space as a new frontline in the fight against violent extremism.
“As more young Africans come online, stakeholders must ensure that digital platforms remain spaces for opportunity, innovation and civic participation, not recruitment grounds for violent extremist groups. Protecting digital rights and protecting vulnerable communities should be mutually reinforcing objectives,” he said.
Among its recommendations, the policy brief called for stronger regional cooperation to tackle cross-border online extremist networks, rights-respecting content moderation and greater accountability by digital platforms.
It also advocated expanded digital literacy programmes to strengthen resilience against online manipulation and community-led initiatives that empower young people to identify and reject extremist narratives.
The organisation further urged policymakers to develop security measures that balance national security objectives with the protection of privacy, freedom of expression and access to information.
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