Malam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, Director-General of NITDA, at the Meeting with SOme UK Delegates in Abuja, FCT Photo: NITDA
*Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, unveils the ongoing plans to build a joint United Kingdom/Nigeria National Cybersecurity Architecture towards safeguarding the West African country’s digital ecosystem
Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect
In driving economic reforms and digital transformation in the West African country, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has disclosed plans are underway towards building a United Kingdom (UK)/Nigeria National Cybersecurity Architecture.
NITDA said it would facilitate the proposed UK/Nigeria Inward Cyber Trade Mission.
Malam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, Director-General of NITDA, spoke on this development at the meeting with some UK delegates Monday, March 3, 2025, in Abuja, FCT.
Inuwa said President Bola Tinubu is committed to economic reforms and transformation, which digitisation could drive in the the country.
NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP) 2.0, he stated, would enhance the digitisation of the country by ensuring digitally literate populace, who are abreast of cybersecurity concerns.
Nigeria’s efforts at safeguarding its digital ecosystem, by NITDA DG
The Director-General of the agency revealed the Federal Government is working towards embedding cybersecurity in every aspect of general activities.
According to him, 95 percent of cyber breaches were as a result of human errors.
Inuwa asserted: “We need to educate both the users and operators on cybersecurity, which is part of what we do and we have a target of achieving 95 percent digital literacy level now.
“We are looking at building the expertise and we are working on training our people on how to safeguard our digital space.”
He equally disclosed the Information Technology (IT) sector regulatory agency is conducting some research in emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain, robotics and additive manufacturing.
As emerging technologies evolved, there is need for cyber security to evolve, said he.
The NITDA Chief stated:
“We need to evolve in the way we talk about cybersecurity and the way we secure the system we are building.”
He as well related that in the past the use of AI never posed a threat, but it currently requires explainability to avoid misuse of the technology.
Inuwa also said that issues about cybersecurity were a global concern, and addressing them would require strategic partnerships, and working as a global ecosystem to gain cyber diplomacy.
Inuwa noted that NITDA is collaborating with other countries that will be working with local businesses to build security systems in line with Nigeria’s cyber landscape.
UK committed to supporting Nigeria to tackle cybersecurity -DBT Director
Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Mark Smithson, Country Director, Department of Business and Trade (DBT), in the UK, revealed that the relationship between Nigeria and the UK was valued at 7.5 billion Pounds.
He affirmed the UK is committed to continuing to strengthen the relationship with the West African country through building safe cyber spaces.
Smithson stated:
“The UK remains firmly committed to supporting Nigeria in tackling cybersecurity challenges and harnessing the opportunities of the digital age as global threads evolve.
“Our partnership is more crucial than ever in ensuring a safe and resilient cyberspace for businesses, governments and citizens alike.”
The DBT Country Director said: “The UK is proud to bring world class expertise in cybersecurity to Nigeria, from cutting-edge technology, to capacity building initiatives because our strong track record in cyber resilience, threat intelligence and innovation presents valuable opportunity.
“We look forward to expanding our cooperation, sharing knowledge, deepening our bilateral trade and building a secure digital future together.”
The agency said other speakers, such as Dr. Lawan Mohammed, Director, Cybersecurity NITDA and Mr. Ross Gill, also took turns to explain that Nigeria as a country would need expertise collaboration to build a strong cybersecurity infrastructure especially on the effective implementation of cybersecurity frameworks.
Other areas of expertise intervention, they mentioned were in building capacity of cybersecurity experts, which they said were about 8,300 and were insufficient to address cyber threats across the country.
They agreed that the Nigerian Government would require expertise to develop threat intelligence, identify vulnerabilities, preserve Public Key Infrastructure, a resilient National Cybersecurity Architecture, among other areas.
The stakeholders as well recognised there are growing threats across the globe.
Partnerships and sharing best practices, they noted, could help build better defences in the digital space.
