July 10, 2025 | Abuja — Senator Afolabi Shuaib Salisu, Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, has called for urgent collaboration among government, industry, academia, and international partners to bolster Nigeria’s cybersecurity framework.
Appearing ahead of the National Security Summit, Senator Salisu emphasised that cyber threats—ranging from kidnapping ransoms via telecom networks to disinformation campaigns—have made Nigeria’s digital foundations vulnerable. He warned: “If we don’t fix our digital architecture … we will be building a national future on quicksand” .
He announced plans for a Cybersecurity Legislative Summit in July, set to include the Attorney-General’s Office, Office of the NSA, global representatives (United Nations, EU), tech companies, and the judiciary. The aim: draft balanced legislation that secures the digital space while protecting free speech .
Senator Salisu said the digital economy—now contributing nearly 20% to GDP—is being undermined by cybercrime. He highlighted that with just a small amount of data, “someone can destroy reputations and lives”, citing a case where fake content circulated as part of a smear campaign .
In support, telecom operators, cybersecurity experts, NITDA, NCC, and NBC agreed at recent sessions that cybersecurity challenges are multi-faceted and cannot be handled in isolation. They advocated for a tripartite approach involving academia, industry, and regulatory agencies—an ecosystem-based strategy hailed as essential for national resilience .