ONSA, NCC, NITDA, others advocate collaboration, cyber resilience over AI-generated attacks

*The Office of the National Security Adviser, Nigerian Communications Commission, National Information Technology Development Agency, and Nigeria Data Protection Commission, among other critical stakeholders in the country’s cybersecurity architecture urge collaboration, resilience, and information sharing on a secure platform to avert cyberattacks, and neutralise emerging threats in Nigeria’s  cyberspace

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

Amid the increasing menace of Artificial Intelligence (AI) related attacks in the country’s digital space, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AoGF), and Minister for Justice, among other critical stakeholders have advocated stronger cyber resilience, responsible AI use, and improved data protection to safeguard the digital ecosystem.

ConsumerConnect reports the critical stakeholders in the West African country’s cybersecurity architecture noted this at the 2nd Edition of the International Cybersecurity Conference (ICSC 2026).

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The theme of the 2nd Edition of ICSC, held October 27 – 28, 2026, in Abuja, FCT, was, “Cyber Resilience in the Age of AI: Defending Minds, Networks and Nations”.

They also urged various institutions responsible for protecting the Nigeria’s cyberspace to remain vigilant as much as ever.

The industry stakeholders, at the event anchored by NITDA, further sought collaboration, resilience, and information sharing on a secure platform to avert cyberattacks, and neutralise threats in the country’s digital ecosystem.

Cybersecurity measures for organisations in AI era, by Inuwa

Speaking at the conference, Malam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, Director-General of NITDA, explained that cybersecurity focuses on preventing attacks, whereas cyber resilience involves the ability to recover after an attack.

Inuwa stated: “In the age of AI today, it is very difficult to defend or attack with AI itself because you need to think of attacking and defending, using AI because AI has many sophisticated tools for the attackers as well as for the people.

“Organisations need to defend themselves as well, and it all depends on how we use it.”

The Director-General of the IT sector regulatory agency also said: “This year’s conference is going to look at it beyond just defending infrastructure because today, cybersecurity is beyond infrastructure.

“We need to look at how we can defend our minds because hackers focus more on hacking people than systems, and it is easier to hack people to get what you want than hacking the system itself.”

Referencing NITDA’s efforts thus far, Inuwa said the agency had been working with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the National Assembly (NASS), in Abuja, to review the Cybercrimes Act, and strengthen the policy framework for cybersecurity in the Nigeria Digital Economy.

NCC EVC/CEO: How AI is making cyberattacks more sophisticated

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making cyberattacks more sophisticated.

The NCC noted that criminals are increasingly targeting people and manipulating what they see, hear, and believe rather than focusing only on computer systems.

Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC, speaking Tuesday at the 2nd Edition of ICSC 2026, said the growing threat required stronger cybersecurity measures, public awareness, and closer collaboration among telecoms operators, regulators, and security agencies.

Represented by Engr. Abraham Oshadami,  Executive Commissioner, Technical Services (ECTS) of the Commission, also stated: “The threats that were targeted towards computer systems are now more sophisticated.

“It’s now targeted to us humans to the extent that they can manipulate everything about us.”

The Executive Vice-Chairman affirmed that telecommunications infrastructure has become central to Nigeria’s economy, with financial transactions, public services, communications, and business operations increasingly dependent on digital networks.

The NCC Chief, however, cautioned stakeholders Artificial Intelligence has changed the speed and scale of cyberthreats in recent times.

The emerging scenario, Dr. Maida said, required a shift from traditional security measures to systems capable of anticipating attacks, recovering from disruptions, and adapting to new threats.

He listed such emerging threats to include AI-driven phishing attacks tailored to individuals, automated attempts to steal login credentials, deepfakes designed to bypass multi-factor authentication, and malware that changes its behaviour to evade detection in cyberspace.

Computer Security Incident Response Team  Monitors threats

Shedding light on recent efforts at containing increasing cyberthreats in the Nigeria Digital Economy, the EVC/CEO said the NCC had established a Computer Security Incident Response Team to monitor threats to telecommunications infrastructure, coordinate the sharing of threat intelligence, and enforce incident reporting among operators in the digital environment.

According to him, the Commission’s cybersecurity resilience framework for the communications sector of the Nigerian economy provides a common security baseline for licensed operators and supports coordination with national cybersecurity bodies, stated Maida.

He, therefore, urged telecoms operators to adopt a “zero-trust security model”, which requires continuous verification of users and devices rather than automatically trusting connections within a network.

The Chief Executive Officer of NCC further urged regular checks on Artificial Intelligence systems integrated into telecoms infrastructure to identify vulnerabilities, including manipulated data and unauthorised changes to automated systems.

He noted: “Technology alone cannot solve human exploits.”

Maida hinted that cybersecurity awareness should become part of organisational culture and public consciousness in the country.

Of legislative intervention and support

In his remarks at the forum also, Sen. Shuaibu Salisu, Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, advocated improved collaboration among government institutions, and other stakeholders to address challenges affecting the entire digital ecosystem in Nigeria.

Salisu proposed a retreat involving relevant government Ministries, regulatory agencies, security institutions, and other stakeholders to specifically identify shared priorities and develop coordinated strategies to combat cyberthreats in country’s the digital ecosystem.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, also advocated the development a national cyber resilience index to assess organisations’ security capabilities and provide a framework for measuring, improving their preparedness against cyber vulnerabilities.

Speaking on the occasion,

Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister for Justice, said his Ministry was working on a draft executive bill to strengthen Nigeria’s legal framework for tackling emerging cyberthreats.

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Prince Fagbemi, represented by Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), Director of Public Prosecutions, Federal Ministry of Justice, explained that modern technological advances have turned cybercrime into a threat to financial systems, national security, personal dignity, and public trust in recent times.

The Minister also noted: “Our objective is clear: we support laws that respond to emerging technologies, facilitate the preservation and exchange of electronic evidence, support effective investigation and prosecution, and uphold human rights and the rule of law.

“Security must protect liberty, not become an excuse to undermine it. The office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation remains committed to a whole-of-government and a whole- of-society approach.”

On data protection and privacy in AI era

In his submission at the ICSC 2026, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner of NDPC,  highlighted the importance of building trust through data protection and privacy in the age of AI.

Dr. Olatunji, who presented a paper titled: “Trust by Design: Data Protection and Privacy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence”, noted that AI-enabled data breaches cost an average of US$6 million, about a million Dollars above the global average.

The National Commissioner said one in four malicious data breaches was AI-enabled.

He also noted that represented a 56 percent year-on-year increase, while 43 percent of breaches involved unapproved or unsecured AI tools.

Olatunji averred: “Building trust requires regulators to establish clear rules, developers to integrate privacy and security into AI systems, and organisations to assess risks and demonstrate compliance.

“Citizens also need to understand and exercise their data protection rights, make informed choices and report suspected misuse of personal information.”