The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, has reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to deepening inter-agency collaboration as he received the Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mr Charles Ebuebu, on a courtesy visit aimed at exploring strategic partnerships in digital transformation and regulatory frameworks across Nigeria’s media and technology sectors.

Speaking during the meeting, Inuwa stated that digital transformation and regulation are inseparable in Nigeria’s rapidly evolving digital ecosystem. He also emphasised that digital transformation is not a one-off project but a continuous journey that requires constant improvement, periodic target-setting, and organisational adaptability to emerging realities.

According to the NITDA boss, the agency deliberately embarked on a transformational journey to reposition itself from a traditional civil service structure to a high-velocity, smart public sector organisation. He noted that when the agency began its transformation drive, a significant percentage of its workforce came from the mainstream civil service, bringing with it entrenched bureaucratic mindsets and rigid operational practices. This, he said, necessitated a conscious decision to change the narrative.

“More than 70 or 80% of our staff came from the mainstream public service, and we know the mindset of public servants, so we started changing that narrative by focusing on people, resetting mindsets, building capacity, and fostering a culture that supports innovation and accountability,” he noted.

Inuwa explained that NITDA’s approach to digital transformation was anchored on three core pillars: people, processes, and technology. He stressed that no matter how advanced technology may be, it cannot deliver value without the right people and efficient processes in place.

He further disclosed that the agency undertook a comprehensive cultural reorientation programme, supported by cultural audits and initiatives aimed at creating psychological safety within the organisation.

“This was critical to enabling staff at all levels to freely contribute ideas, challenge existing processes constructively, and engage in horizontal and vertical collaboration without fear of reprisal,” he stated.

He noted that culture remains the foundation upon which any successful strategy must stand, adding that “no matter how good a strategy is, without the right culture, execution will fail.”

Providing further insight into the transformation journey, he explained that NITDA adopted an integrated framework encompassing people, process, culture, content, and technology. Through this framework, the agency identified and addressed deeply rooted bureaucratic tendencies such as command-and-control structures, risk aversion, and excessive dependence on directives from senior leadership.

According to the DG, “these reforms paved the way for trust-based delegation, inter-departmental collaboration, and process optimisation”.

He further revealed that NITDA documented over 396 internal processes and subsequently streamlined them to eliminate inefficiencies and repetitive executive approvals. He cited examples where routine operational tasks that previously required multiple approvals at the Director General’s level were redesigned to empower departments as gatekeepers, allowing leadership to focus on strategic priorities.

This process optimisation, he said, also created the foundation for automation and the integration of digital tools.

On capacity building, the DG disclosed that all NITDA staff underwent mandatory artificial intelligence (AI) training, reinforcing the agency’s position that AI is a tool for enhancing productivity rather than replacing human capital.

He noted that staff across departments are now leveraging AI to improve workflows, generate ideas, and transition from manual administrative roles to AI-enabled system administration.

Inuwa added that technology deployment at NITDA is deliberately driven by business value rather than trend adoption, stressing that technology must support clearly defined processes and organisational objectives.

He announced that the agency has developed a comprehensive digital transformation playbook, capturing lessons learned from its journey, which it is willing to share with NBC and other government institutions.

To advance collaboration with NBC, Inuwa proposed concrete areas of partnership, including sharing the agency’s digital transformation playbook, delivering tailored training and capacity-building programmes, enrolling NBC staff in digital literacy initiatives developed with global technology partners such as Cisco, and providing technical support for modernising regulatory frameworks to align with the evolving digital and media ecosystem.

Earlier in this remark, Mr Ebuebu called for deeper collaboration between the NBC and NITDA, describing the partnership as long overdue in the face of rapid media and technology convergence.

He noted that although he has had several insightful interactions with the DG NITDA in the past, it was important to institutionalise cooperation between both agencies to address emerging developments in media, technology, data governance, and Nigeria’s digital future.

While calling for closer ties between the two agencies, he emphasised that a strategic partnership between NBC and NITDA is critical to effectively regulate the evolving media ecosystem, harness technology for content creation and distribution, promote the growth of local media, facilitate knowledge transfer, and protect Nigeria’s cultural and national interests.

Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have agreed to strengthen collaboration to enhance the investigation and prosecution of offences that lead to bank failures, while also improving the recovery of assets and debts of failed banks.

Thompson Oludare Sunday, managing director and chief executive of the NDIC, made this known during a courtesy visit by the Corporation’s management team to Olanipekun Olukoyede, executive chairman of the EFCC, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the NDIC’s Hawwau Gambo, head of Communication and Public Affairs, Sunday said robust partnership with the EFCC is critical to the effective liquidation of failed banks, a process that involves asset realisation and debt recovery, with proceeds used to settle uninsured deposits.

He noted that cases of asset stripping and concealment require coordinated efforts, particularly in asset tracing, recovery and enforcement, adding that the EFCC’s expertise is vital in achieving these objectives.

Sunday also identified banking fraud investigations and the prosecution of individuals whose actions contribute to bank collapses as key areas where both institutions can further strengthen their cooperation.

He stressed that NDIC plays a vital role in maintaining financial system stability through the execution of its four statutory mandates in deposit guarantee, bank supervision, distress resolution and bank liquidation.

According to him, the Corporation’s overarching goal is to safeguard depositors’ funds, ensure prompt compensation when banks fail, and sustain public confidence in the financial system.

He also observed that both institutions share common values of integrity, professionalism and accountability, describing the visit as a step towards reinforcing institutional partnership, especially in areas where EFCC’s investigative and prosecutorial capacity is essential to NDIC’s mandate.

“We aim to further strengthen our collaboration, deepen institutional synergy and explore additional avenues for mutual support in the pursuit of national financial system stability.

“The EFCC has been our partner and we want this to continue. We look forward to an expanded and more impactful partnership between our two esteemed institutions.

“Your experience has and will continue to greatly enhance our recovery efforts.  Additionally, we have that strategic responsibility for prosecuting individuals whose actions contribute to the failure of banks. We therefore seek closer collaboration with the Commission in this critical area”

Responding, the EFCC boss, Olukoyede, reiterated the Commission’s commitment to its longstanding working relationship with the NDIC in tackling financial crimes within the banking sector.

He acknowledged the history of cooperation between the two agencies, particularly in investigations and capacity development related to banking operations.

Olukoyede also briefed the delegation on key departments within the EFCC, including the Bank Fraud Section, which handles matters related to the NDIC.

He encouraged the Corporation to submit any outstanding cases for prompt assessment, noting that this would enhance tracking, accountability and case resolution.

The EFCC Chairman further highlighted the role of the Commission’s Fraud Risk Assessment and Control Department, which focuses on proactive monitoring, compliance, sound risk management and internal controls in both public and private sector institutions.

He described these efforts as part of the EFCC’s broader mandate to protect and strengthen the Nigerian economy.

Olukoyede assured the NDIC of the EFCC’s continued support in deepening institutional synergy to combat financial crimes, improve asset recovery, and ensure that offenders who undermine the banking sector are brought to justice.

More than 570 cybercriminals were arrested as part of a sweeping international operation aimed at stopping online fraud operations.

Interpol’s Operation Sentinel, part of its African Joint Operation Against Cybercrime, focused on cybercrime that involved business email compromise, digital extortion and ransomware.

Business email compromise is a technique that uses the identity of a trusted figure, such as a company officer, to trick employees into providing money or revealing corporate secrets.

Digital extortion and ransomware are similar methods of stealing personal information or locking down a computer system and then demanding money from the victim to regain access.

The monthlong investigation in late 2025 recovered $3 million in stolen funds, shut down 6,000 malicious links and decrypted six distinct ransomware programs.

In one scam, fraudsters targeted a Senegalese petroleum company with a business email compromise attack. Attackers used the company’s internal email system, impersonating company executives to authorize fraudulent wire transfers totaling nearly $8 million.

Senegalese authorities stopped the transfers before the criminals could withdraw the funds, according to Interpol.

In Ghana, a ransomware attack against a financial institution encrypted 100 terabytes of data and stole approximately $120,000, disrupting critical services.

Using advanced malware analysis, Ghanaian authorities identified the ransomware software and developed a decryption tool that recovered nearly 30 terabytes of data.

Ghanaian authorities also helped to dismantle a major cyber fraud network operating across their country and Nigeria that stole more than $400,000 from more than 200victims.

Scammers used professionally designed websites and mobile apps to mimic well-known fast-food brands, collecting payments but never delivering orders. Authorities arrested 10 people in Ghana, confiscated more than 100 digital devices and took 30 fraudulent servers offline.

In Benin, authorities took down 43 malicious domains and 4,318 social media accounts linked to extortion schemes and scams, leading to 106 arrests.

Operation Sentinel was the latest takedown of cybercriminals across Africa. In August, Operation Serengeti 2.0 arrested more than 1,200 suspects, confiscated more than $97 million stolen from victims and shut down 25 cryptocurrency mining centers allegedly run by 60 Chinese nationals in Angola.

“The scale and sophistication of cyberattacks across Africa are accelerating, especially against critical sectors like finance and energy,” Neal Jetton, Interpol’s director of cybercrime, said.

As internet access expands rapidly across Africa — largely through mobile phone networks — cybersecurity and education continue to lag, leaving people and companies vulnerable to cybercriminals.

Countries with the largest online populations, including South Africa and Egypt, tend to suffer the highest number of cybercrime events. Security experts estimate that cybercrime accounts for 30% of all crime in West and East Africa.

Nigeria, in particular, has become a hotbed for internet fraud operations.

Among the region’s cybercriminals are so-called Yahoo Boys — teenagers trained by cybercrime operators to carry out online scams, often using social media platforms such as WhatsApp.

Jetton praised the 19 African nations that collaborated with Interpol to break up cybercrime operations across the continent.

“The outcomes from Operation Sentinel reflect the commitment of African law enforcement agencies, working in close coordination with international partners,” Jetton said.

“Their actions have successfully protected livelihoods, secured sensitive personal data and preserved critical infrastructure.”