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By Olasunkanmi Onifade
The Managing Director of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, has called for strategic procurement policies that support indigenous technology developers and reduce Nigeria’s dependence on foreign digital platforms.
Adeyanju made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at the Cybersecurity Forum and Workshop organised by the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), themed “Digital Sovereignty: Building an Agile and Resilient Nation”.
He expressed concern that Nigeria continues to rely heavily on foreign data centres, cloud infrastructure, and core technology systems, exposing national data to external risks.
“Most citizens’ data; health records, educational records, and biometrics reside on servers hosted abroad, making us vulnerable to extraterrestrial influence and surveillance,” he said.
He stressed the need to strike a balance between data localisation and innovation, while rapidly scaling local capacity to achieve digital sovereignty.
Adeyanju cited examples such as telecom infrastructure built by Huawei and ZTE, operating systems developed abroad, and cloud services hosted by providers like AWS, Microsoft, and Google.
“As Nigeria advances toward a more connected, data-driven society, our ability to govern, protect, and secure our digital space will determine whether we thrive or falter,” he added.
He called for the establishment of a robust national Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) with round-the-clock capabilities, as well as expanded cybersecurity training within universities and the civil service.
“It is essential to ensure that government data and other sensitive information are stored within the country to safeguard national sovereignty,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Vice Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Olufemi Peters, represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Isaac Butswat noted the theme of the forum as timely.
Peters added that cybersecurity affects all citizens and that public awareness is key to mitigating risks.
“Cybersecurity awareness is crucial in empowering individuals and organisations to protect themselves from threats like data breaches, phishing scams, and malware,” he said.
In his remarks, NCS President Muhammad Aliyu said the forum brought together cybersecurity experts from government, industry, academia, and the private sector to discuss current threats and strategies for safeguarding digital systems in the age of Artificial Intelligence.
“It also aimed to address issues around data protection, incident response policies, and international cooperation,” he said.
Aliyu emphasised the importance of open dialogue and shared expertise in strengthening collective defence mechanisms and securing Nigeria’s digital future.
He reaffirmed the Society’s commitment to providing platforms for IT professionals to share knowledge and remain informed on emerging cybersecurity challenges. (NAN)
Edited by Abdul Hassan/Tosin Kolade
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