*Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency, rallies industry stakeholders to deepen cybersecurity knowledge across government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, enhance institutional collaboration, and strengthen Nigeria’s collective cyber resilience for a secure, trusted and resilient digital ecosystem
Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect
Against the backdrop of increasing disruptive cyberthreats, and cyberattacks against government digital platforms lately, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has urged Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to adopt a coordinated and proactive approach to securing Nigeria’s public digital infrastructure.
Stakeholders advocated this measure at the opening of a two-day Cybersecurity Workshop for MDAs with the theme: “Securing Government Digital Infrastructure through Capacity Building”.
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Dr. Ayodele Bakare. Assistant Director, Cybersecurity Department at NITDA, represented Malam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, Director-General of the agency at the forum.
Speaking at the event, Inuwa said the workshop came at a crucial period when cyberattacks against government digital platforms have become more frequent, sophisticated and disruptive.
The Chief Executive of the Information Technology (IT) sector regulatory agency observed that incidents, such as Web site defacement, ransomware attacks, data breaches, and the misuse of personal information then, posed serious risks to governance, public trust and national development.
The government digital platforms, relied upon daily by millions of Nigerian consumers, have increasingly become attractive targets for cybercriminals, he stated.
Inuwa also said: “We have watched websites of government organisations defaced, hijacked and quietly redirected to gambling sites.
“We have seen coordinated ransomware attacks force government web portals to shut down and witnessed repeated attacks on government databases leading to data exfiltration and abuse of personal data.”.
Highlighting the growing magnitude of the challenge, the Director-General referenced findings from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Cybercrime Assessment for Nigeria.
According to him, the findings identified Nigeria as one of Africa’s three most targeted countries due to its expanding digital economy, and increasing cyberattack surface.
Inuwa as well cited the Lloyd Cybersecurity Outlook, which estimated that cybercrime cost Nigeria more than $3 billion between 2019 and 2025.
The NITDA Chief emphasised that every digital service delivered by government represents a promise of efficiency, transparency and accessibility to citizens and businesses.
Such promises, he stated, could only be fulfilled when the underlying systems are adequately secured.
He stressed that today’s cyberthreats are orchestrated by highly organised and well-funded actors who exploit vulnerabilities across institutions, making inter-agency collaboration indispensable.
Inuwa further explained: “A weakness in one MDA becomes a doorway into another.
“Our defences cannot be fragmented. Cybersecurity in government is a shared national obligation, and we are only as strong as our least protected system.”
Reaffirming NITDA’s commitment to strengthening national cyber resilience, the CEO of the agency highlighted NITDA’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERRT) as the government’s first point of contact during cyber incidents.
He, however, emphasised that the true value of any emergency response capability yet lies in preventing attacks before they occur.
Inuwa said that effective cybersecurity would require continuous risk assessments, robust governance frameworks, policy implementation, regular awareness campaigns, technical safeguards, incident response planning and sustained capacity development.
The Director-General equally underscored the importance of the human factor in cybersecurity.
He described personnel as the first and most critical line of defence in this regard.
Stated he: “No firewall or technical control can replace an informed, alert and security-conscious workforce.
“That is what we refer to as the human firewall.”
Inuwa as well encouraged participants to maximise the workshop.
He, therefore, described it as more than a conventional training programme, but a platform for practical learning, intelligence sharing and collaborative problem-solving through discussions and real-life case studies drawn from recent cyber incidents affecting public institutions.
The Chief Executive of NITDA disclosed that participants would serve as the first external stakeholder group to review and provide input on NITDA’s draft Regulatory Guidelines for Government Information Security Management ahead of broader stakeholder consultations.
He urged participants to engage openly throughout the sessions.
Inuwa said candid discussions on institutional cybersecurity challenges would help other agencies strengthen their own resilience against emerging threats in the digital ecosystem.
He stated: “Ask difficult questions and honestly share the security concerns within your environment because your candour may help a sister agency avoid the same issue.”
The Director-General maintained that Nigeria’s ongoing digital transformation should be viewed as an opportunity rather than a source of concern, provided the country’s digital assets remain adequately protected.
He noted: “Nigeria’s digital future is not a threat to be feared. It is an opportunity to be secured.
“Securing it is precisely the duty we have gathered here to take up together.”
The workshop is expected to deepen cybersecurity knowledge across MDAs, enhance institutional collaboration and strengthen Nigeria’s collective cyber resilience, in line with NITDA’s commitment to fostering a secure, trusted and resilient digital ecosystem for the country.