Stakeholders in Nigeria’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector have urged both public and private institutions to work together to create a secure and resilient digital ecosystem.
The call was made on Friday in Abuja during the monthly DevsInGovernment programme, organised by the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy to mark Cybersecurity Awareness Month. The event was themed: “Strengthening Cyber Resilience in the Public Sector: Awareness, Skills, and National Initiatives.”
In his welcome address, Babagana Digima, Head of Cybersecurity and Internet Governance at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), stressed the importance of embedding security into every aspect of Nigeria’s digital services.
“We must embed security into the very DNA of our digital services—from the first line of coding to the final user experience. We must upskill our workforce, institutionalise secure-by-design practices, and foster a culture of cyber awareness at every level of public service. Resilience is not the absence of attacks; it is the ability to anticipate, withstand, recover, and adapt,” Digima said.
He highlighted the Cyber Resilience Framework for Nigeria’s Communications Sector (CRF-NCS), developed by the NCC, which is structured around pillars including governance and compliance, risk management, cybersecurity posture, incident response, resilience management, and capacity building.
Speaking on a panel, Sade Dada, Head of Public Policy, Anglophone West Africa at Meta, explained that the company’s platforms use advanced technology and partnerships to detect, isolate, and remove harmful content, including disinformation.
“We combine Artificial Intelligence detection, user education, and partnerships with experts to create a more resilient defense against digital threats. Just as the immune system learns and adapts to new diseases, our systems continuously update to respond to emerging cyber risks,” Dada said. She added that Meta regularly collaborates with law enforcement agencies to address new threats.
Mr Abba Moukhtar, Network and Cybersecurity Engineer at the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), noted that the agency has advanced digital literacy and cybersecurity awareness through training, skill development, and collaborations with internationally certified learning platforms.
“At NITDA, we actively advance digital literacy and cybersecurity awareness through capacity building, skill development, and collaborative efforts with globally certified learning platforms,” Moukhtar said.
