NITDA identifies key barriers to cybersecurity in Nigeria

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has identified outdated frameworks, inadequate expertise and low awareness as major barriers to effective cybersecurity interventions in Nigeria.

Dr Ayodele Bakare, deputy director, Cybersecurity Department, NITDA, made this known during a meeting with a delegation from the United Kingdom (UK) in Abuja, recently.

The discussion focused on building a national cybersecurity infrastructure.

Bakare highlighted that cybersecurity is a borderless issue, requiring both local and international collaboration as well as strategic interventions to address emerging threats.

He noted that while Nigeria has existing cybersecurity frameworks and policies, their effectiveness in tackling evolving threats—particularly those driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI)—remains questionable.

Some of the key frameworks he mentioned include the Cybercrime Act 2015, which was recently amended in 2024, and the Nigerian Data Protection Act 2023, both of which play a crucial role in shaping the country’s cybersecurity landscape.

“NITDA, seven years ago, released the National Public Key Infrastructure as a regulation. We also have other sectoral frameworks, such as the Risk-Based Cybersecurity Framework for financial institutions released by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“Given the fact that we have all these frameworks, their effectiveness is still a question, and I think the first thing is for a rebase line on the basis that informs the existing frameworks.

“The majority of the frameworks were issued far before now, and there are emerging risks like AI-driven threats, and some of the frameworks that we have are not really addressing them,” he said.

Bakare also pointed out that despite ongoing public awareness efforts, cyber threats such as device code phishing remain widespread.

He shared a personal experience of nearly falling victim to such an attack, emphasising that many Nigerians are still unaware of modern cyber threats.

He called for enhanced, interactive awareness campaigns to better educate the public on cyber risks.

In addition, Bakare highlighted Nigeria’s shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals, stating that the country has only about 8,300 cybersecurity experts for a population of 220 million. He stressed the urgent need to develop skills in the sector.

“We are looking for platforms that can provide an efficient way of training people, and we are also looking at collaborations that can help bring down the cost of cybersecurity certification courses.”

“Averagely, you see Nigerians spending between 2,000 dollars to 5,000 dollars for this certification, which is very expensive, and reducing the cost will increase the number of experts,” he said.

Bakare also raised concerns about governance, risk management, and compliance among government institutions, revealing that NITDA is working on an audit regime to ensure adherence to cybersecurity frameworks.

He further noted the need for more efficient threat intelligence platforms that can gather, analyse, and share information on cybersecurity threats.

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