The Federal Government has signalled a renewed push to strengthen Nigeria’s cyber defences, unveiling plans to work with private sector operators and industry stakeholders towards the establishment of a National Cybersecurity Coordination Council aimed at protecting the country’s fast-growing digital economy from evolving cyber threats.
The initiative, announced by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, forms part of broader efforts to improve collaboration, intelligence sharing and coordinated responses to cyber incidents affecting both public and private institutions.
According to a ministerial press statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, the proposed council will serve as a non-statutory, multi-stakeholder coordination platform designed to strengthen partnerships among organisations responsible for safeguarding Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.
It reads, “The platform would convene key actors across sectors to enable efficient coordination, trusted information exchange and sustained cooperation in addressing cybersecurity risks. It will also provide advisory support to the federal government on strategies, collaborative frameworks and mechanisms required to enhance national cyber resilience.”
The move follows a series of cybersecurity incidents that have posed risks to customers and disrupted operations across major private institutions, public systems and Nigeria’s services industry. Authorities said the incidents highlight the increasingly coordinated and sophisticated nature of cyber threats, often driven by organised threat actors and malicious networks targeting trust within Nigeria’s expanding digital ecosystem.
Against this backdrop, the federal government said modern cyber risks now require collective defence models rather than isolated institutional responses.
In consultation with the Office of the National Security Adviser, the government plans to promote structured partnerships among government institutions, private-sector operators, industry associations and regulatory bodies responsible for cybersecurity oversight.
Officials noted that stronger collaboration would enable trusted threat intelligence sharing and improve national preparedness against emerging digital risks.
The proposed Cybersecurity Coordination Council is expected to draw participation from a wide range of stakeholders, including chief information security officers across major sectors; recognised cybersecurity professional associations; the Nigerian Computer Society; cybersecurity and trust teams of international technology providers and original equipment manufacturers operating in Nigeria; as well as digital security researchers and technical experts.
Law enforcement agencies, civil society organisations, and government ministries, departments and agencies responsible for cybersecurity, digital infrastructure and information governance are also expected to participate.
Through the collaborative platform, stakeholders will work towards developing trusted threat intelligence-sharing mechanisms to improve early detection and coordinated responses to cyber incidents. The council will also focus on sector-wide cyber defence protocols aligned with national cybersecurity strategies, capacity-building programmes to strengthen Nigeria’s cybersecurity workforce, and operational coordination frameworks for incident response, recovery and cyber risk management.
In addition, governance and regulatory alignment frameworks may be supported where necessary to improve accountability, interoperability and national cyber readiness.
To kick-start the consultative process, the minister directed key government agencies – the National Information Technology Development Agency, the Nigerian Communications Commission, Galaxy Backbone Limited and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission – to jointly facilitate the establishment of a technical coordination secretariat and develop initial terms of reference to guide stakeholder engagement.
The secretariat will be domiciled within NITDA and operate under the strategic coordination of the minister’s office to ensure alignment with national cybersecurity priorities and cross-sector collaboration objectives.
As part of the engagement process, the ministry will convene a national cybersecurity industry roundtable later in the month. The event is expected to formally commence stakeholder consultations and provide a platform for technical dialogue, partnership development and co-creation of the operational framework for the proposed council.
Speaking on the initiative, Tijani stressed that protecting Nigeria’s digital economy requires collective national action involving government, industry and civil society.
“Cybersecurity is a shared national responsibility. Protecting Nigeria’s digital economy requires strong partnerships, trusted collaboration and collective vigilance across government, industry and civil society,” the minister said.
He added that through sustained collaboration, Nigeria aims to strengthen its capacity to detect threats early, respond effectively to cyber incidents and build a resilient and trusted digital ecosystem.
The minister also encouraged stakeholders across sectors to actively participate in the consultative process to help shape a sustainable, partnership-led cybersecurity model capable of deterring cybercriminal activity while protecting citizens, businesses and national digital infrastructure.
The Federal Government reiterated its commitment to strengthening cybersecurity governance, promoting responsible digital innovation and safeguarding Nigeria’s digital future as the country continues to expand its digital economy.
