The Federal Government has signalled plans to establish a National Cybersecurity Coordination Council as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s collective cyber resilience and protect the country’s growing digital economy.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, disclosed this in a ministerial press release, stating that the proposed council would serve as a multi-stakeholder platform to coordinate responses to cyber threats across both public and private sectors.
According to the Minister, the initiative is aimed at improving collaboration among government institutions, private sector operators, industry associations and regulatory bodies responsible for cybersecurity, in consultation with the Office of the National Security Adviser.
He explained that the council, when established, would enhance trusted information sharing, strengthen partnerships, and support coordinated responses to evolving cyber threats affecting Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.
Tijani noted that recent cybersecurity incidents have exposed significant risks to customers and disrupted operations across major private institutions, public systems and Nigeria’s services sector. He added that the increasing sophistication of cyber threats, driven by organised actors and malicious networks, has made collective action more urgent.
“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 engagement and collaboration, Nigeria would strengthen its capacity to detect threats early, respond effectively, and build a resilient and trusted digital ecosystem.
The Minister said the proposed council is envisioned as a non-statutory coordination platform that will also provide advisory support to the Federal Government on cybersecurity strategies, collaborative frameworks and information-sharing mechanisms.
He further stated that stakeholders would work collectively toward developing trusted threat intelligence sharing systems to improve early detection and coordinated response to cyber incidents.
Other expected outcomes include the development of sector-wide cyber defence and resilience protocols aligned with national cybersecurity strategies, as well as capacity-building programmes to strengthen Nigeria’s cybersecurity workforce and institutional resilience.
The initiative will also focus on establishing operational coordination mechanisms to support incident response, recovery and cyber risk management, while promoting governance and regulatory alignment frameworks to enhance accountability, interoperability and national cyber readiness.
To support the process, the Minister directed key agencies, including 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.
The secretariat, which will be domiciled within the National Information Technology Development Agency, is expected to develop initial Terms of Reference to guide stakeholder engagement and participation, while operating under the strategic coordination of the Minister’s office.
As part of the engagement process, the ministry will convene a national cybersecurity industry roundtable in April 2026. The roundtable is expected to mark the formal commencement of stakeholder consultations and provide a platform for technical dialogue, partnership development and co-creation of the operational framework for the proposed council.
The proposed 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 teams of international technology providers and original equipment manufacturers operating in Nigeria, digital security researchers, law enforcement agencies, civil society organisations, and relevant government ministries, departments and agencies.
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.
