By Ijeoma Olorunfemi
The Federal Government says it is determined to protect Nigerians rights and
privacy in the digital space.
To achieve that, it said it has developed several policy and regulatory frameworks
to strengthen cybersecurity.
Dr Ayodele Bakare, Assistant Director, Cybersecurity Department, National
Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) said this in Abuja on
Monday.
He said that cybersecurity governance in Nigeria was implemented through a
collaborative approach involving multiple government institutions with different
responsibilities.
According to him, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) provides
overall coordination of national cybersecurity efforts through the National
Cybersecurity Coordination Centre which serves as its operational arm.
“At the national level, cybersecurity implementation is done collectively and
different government organisations are responsible for implementing different
aspects of the national cybersecurity framework.
“At the top, however, the Office of the National Security Adviser coordinates these
efforts through the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre,” he said.
Bakare said that one of the key policy instruments guiding the country’s
cybersecurity efforts was the National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy
Framework.
He also highlighted the legal framework provided by the Cybercrimes Prohibition
and Prevention Act 2015 which was recently amended in 2024 to strengthen
Nigeria’s response to cyber threats and digital crimes.
According to him, NITDA has also introduced sector-specific regulations to
enhance cybersecurity in the country.
“One of such regulations is the National Public Key Infrastructure Regulation
which is one of the core infrastructure required to ensure trust and security in
digital communications and transactions,” he said.
Bakare said that NITDA played a pioneering role in Nigeria’s data protection
landscape through the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation 2019, which laid the
foundation for the current data protection framework, adding that the regulation
had since evolved into a full legal framework implemented by the Nigeria Data
Protection Commission.
Bakare disclosed that the agency is also finalising an Information Security
Regulation that would soon be made available to the public that would provide
organisations and individuals with clear guidelines on their responsibilities in
safeguarding information and digital assets.
“Nigeria has continued to strengthen its legal and policy environment for
cybersecurity, a development reflected in the country’s performance in the Global
Cybersecurity Index.
“One of the pillars of the index focuses on legal measures and assesses the
availability of national cybersecurity laws and regulations.
“Nigeria recorded a strong performance under the legal measures pillar, reflecting
the country’s efforts to establish the necessary frameworks to support cybersecurity
governance,” he said, adding that sustained collaboration among government
agencies and stakeholders remained essential to effectively implement the existing
policies and strengthen Nigeria’s digital security architecture.
