E-Business
Stakeholders Call for a Strong National Cybersecurity Infrastructure
Nigerian cybersecurity experts and stakeholders in the financial services sector have called on the federal government to urgently initiate and operationalise a world-class and effective cybersecurity strategy to address the ever-evolving cyberthreats and critical infrastructure protection challenges plaguing the national economy.
Dr. Austine Ohwobete, the Managing Director, Cybertechnologies Next Generation Company Limited (CybertechNX), spoke after showcasing CybertechNX’s core capabilities to the Committee of Chief Information Security Officers of the Nigerian Financial Institutions (CCISONFI) during CybertechNX’s business launch and cyber-capabilities expose in Lagos, where he acknowledged that Nigeria presently has a semblance of cyber-security plan, but pointed out that the plan is full of holes, gaps and lacking in implementation timelines, deliverables, verifiable metrics, and milestones.
Ohwobete, who has taught at several universities in the United States and currently teaches IT and cybersecurity design and implementation strategies at the University of Arizona Global Campus, said: “Cybercriminals are on their own digital revolution journey. Trends like work-from-home, Internet of Things (IoT), bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and cloud initiatives have given hackers new ways to infiltrate organisations by exponentially expanding the attack surface.”
He added that: “Technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have now given hackers and bad actors, both state and nonstate, new tools to distribute malware, vector in on high-end targets, and reach bigger and more diverse audiences. And as these technologies evolve, cybercriminals are becoming increasingly stealthy, sophisticated and evasive.”
The protection challenge is therefore steep and requires the concerted efforts of key players and stakeholders in the Nigerian economy.
Ohwobete, who has provided complete data security and regulatory compliance coverage for a NASA-affiliated rocket manufacturing entity, further identified rudimentary and non-programmatic cybersecurity practice as the Achilles heel in organizations in Nigeria and most African countries.
The President of the Information Security Society of Africa (ISSAN) and Group Head, Operations and Technology, Ecobank Nigeria, Dr. David Isiavwe, who also spoke at the launch, stated that evolving and sustaining premium cyber-security is very important because over $7 trillion is available to be stolen worldwide, including Nigeria, on the cyberspace.
According to Isiavwe, “The first thing that the ISSAN is doing is advocacy. We are engaging all key stakeholders to ensure that there is adequate constant collaboration. Everybody must work together because the entire cyberspace is as secure as its weakest link. We are also saying that every individual should be careful.
“Once a message doesn’t look right and it has a link, please do not touch the link until you have confirmed to know the person that actually sent that message. We want people to know how to protect themselves.
“Secondly, we are also taking steps to ensure that organisations put in place the rudiments and the basics that are required to ensure that they are protected. Thirdly, there must be management buy in right from the board level, which I call ‘the tone at the top.’ If the board and senior management do not support it, it will just be a joke and there will be no security.
“Then we are building and focusing on human capacity development by engaging with experts to ensure that organisations remain secure and safe.”
Isiavwe further stated that: “The urgent need to evolve a strengthened cyber-security system in Nigeria because of growing digitalisation of the country’s economic and social interactions as people now work from home and anyone with a smart cell phone could hop into the cyberspace from anywhere and attack nation states, organisations and individuals. All these mean that the threat landscape has just expanded significantly across the borders of any organisation and country.”
Mr. Abumere Igboa, who is the Chairman of CCISONFI, in his speech during the launch, stated that there was a constant need to address the related challenges of ensuring continuous cybersecurity and data privacy through a strong national cyber-security infrastructure.
He added that lack of proper identity management framework is leading financial institutions to rely on other means for identity information such as BVN, stressing that only through concerted efforts by all industry stakeholders and government that can eliminate or reduce the activities of cyber criminals.
CybertechNX, Nigeria specializes in providing world-class cybersecurity services, including cybersecurity risk assessment, vulnerability and technology penetration testing, cloud architecture design and security testing, mobile and wireless security implementation and testing, cybersecurity programme and regulatory compliance gap review and implementation and security awareness operations and training.
CybertechNX has partnered with CryptoForensics Technologies in the United States where Ohwobete is the chief executive officer and cyber-strategist as its technical partner.
The US operations will provide world-class technical implementation expertise, including facilitating offshore cybersecurity defensive and offensive training for key personnel in industries, military and government ministries and parastatals.
During the launch, Ohwobete introduced himself as a cyber-evangelist that would do in the Nigerian cyber environment what evangelists do best: evangelizing!
“We need a national cyber-security policy and strategy that is functioning and not one that you spend lots of money to just write and nobody hears about it afterward. There is no organizational infrastructure and enabling implementation environment for its actualisation.”
He added that Nigeria needs to adopt a top-down cyber awareness culture which entails identifying national critical infrastructure and key resources and formulating the enabling strategy and then purposively shepherding its implementation based on localized, but internationally comparable frameworks and blueprints that organizations and government entities will need to adhere to in order to ensure that their cyber infrastructure and operations are safe.
According to him, this has to start from the top. “The tone set at the top and the critical infrastructure identification and the deployment of protective mechanisms will determine to what extent organisations at the lower level of the eco-chain will take to make sure that they follow what is being done.
“While individual organisations and entities are responsible for securing their own neck of the wood, the federal government needs to come up with cyber policies and initiatives that will set the standard that organisations need to follow. That is what I think that will be done.”
In closing, he stated that: “Starting from this point of stepping my foot into the (Nigerian) cyber security environment, we at CybertechNX are going to start evangelising and talking to the government and key stakeholders and experts and identifying critical infrastructure risk areas that governments and organisations need to look into.
“Our responsibility as a cyber security services provider in the Nigerian cyber terrain with an eye to international competitiveness will be to constantly scan and then identify critical cyber security gaps that need to be addressed alongside proposing internationally recognized practices and frameworks that are lacking within the Nigerian environment.”
Nigeria has emerged as one of Africa’s most regulated online gambling markets, even as illegal operators continue to dominate the continent, according to a new report by Gaming Compliance International (GCI).
The report, the first comprehensive assessment of online gambling across all 54 African countries, showed that Africa’s online gambling Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) reached $23 billion in 2025.
However, only $5.2 billion (23 per cent) was generated by licensed operators, while $17.8 billion (77 per cent) remained in the unregulated market.
In West Africa, total online gambling revenue rose to $4.8 billion in 2025 from $4.3 billion in 2024. Of the 2025 figure, regulated operators accounted for $1.5 billion (31 per cent), while $3.3 billion (69 per cent) flowed to unlicensed platforms, highlighting the region’s persistent enforcement challenges.
Nigeria stood out as the region’s strongest performer, recording the lowest unregulated market share at 56 per cent, compared with the West African average of 69 per cent and the African average of 77 per cent.
The study also found that online gambling participation across Africa increased from 198 million people (13 per cent of the population) in 2024 to 215 million (14 per cent) in 2025.
Despite this growth, GCI estimated that illegal operators deprived African governments of about $3.55 billion in tax revenue in 2025. The number of unlicensed gambling platforms targeting African consumers also rose to 4,129, up from 3,644 in 2024.
Commenting on the findings, Matt Holt, chief executive officer, GCI, said the report provides regulators with the first continent-wide benchmark for strengthening oversight and consumer protection.
Ismail Vali, president, GCI, urged governments to develop competitive and well-regulated markets that encourage consumers to patronise licensed operators, boost public revenue and attract greater investment.
Online gambling in Nigeria is regulated by the Nation Lottery Regulatory Commission.
At the height of the Northern Hemisphere tourist season, demand for communications and mobile Internet services rises sharply. Kaspersky’s security experts have uncovered scams that target anyone purchasing mobile connections or SIM cards worldwide.
Fraudsters create counterfeit websites that look like the portals of major regional and international telecom providers to trick users into revealing their phone numbers, personal details or banking information.
Kaspersky is sharing several examples of these fake login pages that mimic legitimate telecom operator sites and giving recommendations on how not to be deceived.
In the first case, scammers exploit the brand name of an international telecommunications company operating services in Asia, Africa and Europe. Fake authentication pages encourage users to put in their phone number and credentials.
While the first example shows the different design, the second scam site closely mimics the original log in page, making it hard for users to tell the difference and spot a fake. Entering authentication or payment data on fraudulent web sites may result in money or data loss and become a reason for more frequent spam and fraudulent calls.
Another example is a scam page which poses as another international communications company, working in North Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. In this scheme scammers encourage users to top up their mobile data/Internet plans by entering their personal information and bank cards details.
Kaspersky experts have also identified a scam when cyber criminals suggest users enter their personal data to check and pay a bill inquiry. Such scam schemes are usually aimed at gaining victims’ personal data for further fraud or account hacking and stealing money.
“Because of the active use of AI, scammers can now create fake pages with ever increasing accuracy and speed, targeting the most popular user interest areas. We constantly see scams revolving around sports events, music concerts, seasonal sales and holidays. Unfortunately, the telecoms industry is no exception.
To keep your data and money safe, be vigilant when purchasing mobile or Internet plans online. Using an eSIM – purchased through an official app – is one way to avoid fake telecom sites, as it eliminates the need to enter personal details on questionable web pages.
If you’re unsure about a site’s legitimacy, search for the brand name directly in a search engine and enable a security solution that blocks phishing links for you,” comments Tatyana Kulikova, cybersecurity expert at Kaspersky.
In a strategic push to bridge the gender digital divide, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has partnered with the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) to advance women’s digital inclusion and drive the nation’s transformation agenda.
Dr Aristotle Onumo and some NITDA staff, pose for a group photograph with the President of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Comrade Aisha Ibrahim, and members of the delegation following a strategic engagement at the Agency’s Headquarters in Abuja.
The partnership was cemented during a courtesy visit to NITDA Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, by a NAWOJ delegation led by National President Comrade Aishatu Ibrahim, who introduced the agency to the forthcoming Women in Security (WINSEC) Summit & Awards 2026.
Inuwa, represented by Dr. Aristotle Onumo, the Director of the Stakeholders Management and Partnerships Department, assured the association that NITDA would not only participate in the conference, but also support the success of the conference.
Inuwa hailed the NAWOJ for creating a platform for peacebuilding, dialogue on security and women’s inclusion, which he described as one of the critical areas NITDA is focused on to ensure that more women obtain digital literacy and skills under the National Gender Inclusive Strategy.
Beyond NITDA’s plan to participate in the conference, the DG noted that a robust partnership between the organisations would engender meaningful opportunities and initiatives through which many more women can access digital literacy.
“Inclusivity is the key to everything we do at NITDA. We clearly defined that 40 per cent of our programmes must recognise the issue of gender. We ensure that women are adequately represented and positioned to benefit greatly from the programmes that we organise in the agency.
“We graciously accept to participate actively in that conference. Apart from acquiring skills among journalists themselves, partnership with NAWOJ will also serve as a platform through which we can also reach out to various women’s groups across the federation,” Inuwa said.
Earlier, Comrade Ibrahim commended the DG for his visionary and transformational leadership which has continued to position NITDA as the catalyst for Nigeria’s digital economy through its various programmes.
She explained that the Women in Security (WINSEC) Summit and Awards 2026 is an initiative of NAWOJ designed to promote collaboration among government institutions, security agencies, technology experts, the media, and other stakeholders to address contemporary security challenges.
According to Comrade Ibrahim, the association also aims to recognise outstanding individuals and institutions that have demonstrated excellence in security, governance, and innovation while fostering meaningful dialogue on the role of technology in building a safer and more resilient Nigeria.
“We deeply appreciate your exemplary leadership, passion for innovation, and unwavering commitment to building a digitally empowered Nigeria. We respectfully invite the agency to partner with NAWOJ in making this landmark initiative a success.
“We look forward to establishing a long-term partnership with NITDA that will empower women journalists with cutting-edge digital skills, support digital inclusion and contribute to innovation, digital literacy, and human capital development,” the NAWOJ president added.
Both organisations expressed optimism that the meeting would lay a solid foundation for a rewarding partnership agreement with specific and clearly defined objectives that will support digital inclusion and contribute to innovation, digital literacy, and human capital development.
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