Nigerian Government has announced plans to create a multi-stakeholder Cybersecurity Coordination Council to strengthen national cyber resilience and improve responses to growing digital threats.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, disclosed that the proposed council will serve as a collaborative platform bringing together public and private sector actors to enhance coordination, information sharing, and collective defence against cyber risks.
The proposed Council will function as a non-statutory, multi-stakeholder platform. Its primary mission is to foster trusted information sharing and develop collective defense models to protect Nigeria’s rapidly expanding digital ecosystem.
Speaking on the initiative, the Honourable Minister emphasised the importance of collective national action in safeguarding Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.
“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.
Through collaborative action and sustained engagement, we are strengthening Nigeria’s capacity to detect threats early, respond effectively, and build a resilient and trusted digital ecosystem.”
The Minister further encouraged stakeholders across all sectors to actively participate in the consultative process and help shape a sustainable, partnership-led cybersecurity model capable of deterring cybercriminal activity and protecting citizens, businesses, and national digital infrastructure.
This initiative follows recent cybersecurity incidents that have posed significant risks to customers and disrupted operations across major private institutions, public systems, and Nigeria’s services industry.
These incidents underscore the increasingly coordinated and sophisticated nature of cyber threats, driven by organised threat actors and malicious networks seeking to undermine trust in Nigeria’s growing digital ecosystem.
To kickstart the process, the Minister has directed the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the Nigeria Communications Commission , Galaxy Backbone, and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission to form a technical secretariat.
This body, domiciled within NITDA, will draft the initial Terms of Reference for the Council.
The formal consultation process will begin in April 2026 with a national cybersecurity industry roundtable. This event will serve as a platform for technical dialogue and the co-creation of the operational framework.
By shifting toward a “collective defense” model, the Federal Government intends to improve early threat detection, streamline incident recovery, and build a more resilient workforce to safeguard Nigeria’s digital future.