Peter Jatau, National Assemble, Abuja
At a high-level interactive session in Abuja, Nigerian lawmakers and industry leaders emphasized the urgent need to harness information and communications technology (ICT) and cybersecurity to drive innovation and tackle growing national security threats.
Senator Afolabi Shuaib, Chair of the Senate Committee organizing the upcoming National Security Summit, stressed the importance of collaboration between government, regulators, and private sector players. He noted that Nigeria must strengthen its digital systems to address rising insecurity across the country.
The session brought together lawmakers, telecommunications companies, cybersecurity experts, and key regulatory bodies, including the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
Opening the session, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele called for urgent action to protect the country’s digital infrastructure.
“If we don’t fix our digital architecture,” Bamidele warned, “we’ll be building our national future on quicksand.”
Senator Shuaib added, “Technology is a double-edged sword. While it drives innovation and economic growth, it also enables crime, extortion, harassment, and terrorism. If we don’t act now, we’ll be playing catch-up at the National Security Summit.”
Lawmakers expressed concern about the misuse of digital platforms by criminals, pointing out that kidnappers are increasingly using mobile networks to coordinate ransoms. They also highlighted the dangers of misinformation and cyber harassment, often carried out anonymously with minimal data.
Another concern raised was the lack of accountability from global tech giants operating in Nigeria. Senator Ned Nwoko questioned why companies like Meta (Facebook’s parent company) are not required to establish a physical presence in the country.
“Would having these firms on the ground help with digital law enforcement and accountability?” he asked.
Despite Nigeria’s digital economy contributing nearly 20% of the nation’s GDP, lawmakers warned that the digital security infrastructure remains underdeveloped. Flaws in SIM card registration, along with issues like “number churning” (recycling old SIM cards still linked to bank accounts), continue to pose serious risks.
NCC’s Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity, Edoyemi Ogoh, acknowledged the shortcomings. “Yes, every SIM is linked to an identity, but if the user isn’t the actual owner, it becomes a liability,” he said. He announced several upcoming measures, including a new notification platform to prevent recycled number fraud and improvements to caller ID authentication.
NITDA Director-General Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi called for cybersecurity to be embedded into Nigeria’s digital infrastructure from the ground up.
“Cybersecurity today is not just about firewalls,” Abdullahi said. “It’s about data sovereignty, AI ethics, social media manipulation, and digital trust. We are working to embed trust into the architecture of our public systems.”
He cited tangible progress, including updated codes of practice for global tech firms, enforcement actions like the recent fine imposed on Meta for data privacy violations, and a new digital infrastructure blueprint focused on data localization and secure design.
In conclusion, lawmakers called for a comprehensive national response, urging stronger coordination between NITDA, NCC, NBC, and national security agencies to safeguard Nigeria’s digital future.
