The Nigerian government is taking among others three decisive steps to safeguard its digital future by strengthening cybersecurity, enhancing infrastructure and building human capacity to harness the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Director General of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa has said
The NITDA DG, who delivered a keynote address titled ‘Securing Digital Economy: Strengthening Infrastructure and Harnessing the Power of Artificial Intelligence’ at the Cyber Nigeria Summit, organised by the Cybersecurity Experts Association of Nigeria (CSEAN), described the digital economy as the heartbeat of Nigeria’s development agenda, noting that while ICT contributes about 17 percent to the country’s GDP, digital technologies influence nearly every sector of the economy.
“The service sector alone, he said, accounts for about 58 percent of national output, demonstrating the deep integration of digital tools into everyday life,” he said.
According to him, Cybercrime now costs the world over 10 trillion dollars annually, making it the most lucrative form of crime globally. The World Economic Forum ranks cybersecurity among the top five global threats, showing that our strategies must evolve beyond physical protection.
Inuwa noted that securing Nigeria’s digital economy begins with designing infrastructure that prioritises security from the foundation. Digital infrastructure, he said, now extends beyond servers and networks to include utilities, telecommunications, and even autonomous vehicles.
The DG urged Nigerians to adopt good cyber hygiene, using strong passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication, and avoiding phishing scams. He also encouraged prompt reporting of cyberattacks, emphasising that transparency is vital for collective resilience.
In partnership with the Office of the National Security Adviser, NITDA is working to establish a National Cybersecurity Architecture that promotes accountability, information sharing, and unified national defense.