ICSC 2026: NITDA, NCC, Others Seek Stronger Cyber Resilience as AI Reshapes Digital Threats

ICSC 2026: NITDA, NCC, Others Seek Stronger Cyber Resilience as AI Reshapes Digital Threats

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Federal Government have called for stronger cybersecurity frameworks, international cooperation and improved legal mechanisms to tackle emerging digital threats driven by artificial intelligence (AI).

The call was made at the second edition of the International Cybersecurity Conference (ICSC 2026), organised by NITDA in Abuja from October 27 to 28, under the theme, “Cyber Resilience in the Age of AI: Defending Minds, Networks and Nations.”

The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said the growing sophistication of cyberattacks made it necessary for countries to move beyond conventional cybersecurity measures and develop the capacity to withstand, recover from and adapt to digital threats.

Inuwa said the conference was expanded to an international platform to bring together cybersecurity experts, policymakers and stakeholders from West and Central Africa and other parts of the world to exchange knowledge and strengthen collective responses to cyber threats.

He disclosed that the maiden edition attracted more than 600 participants from 175 organisations, while the 2026 conference had recorded over 700 registered participants, with expectations of reaching 1,000 participants from between 300 and 400 organisations.

According to him, the increasing participation demonstrated the need to expand the conference’s reach and impact in subsequent editions.

The NITDA chief executive explained that cybersecurity and cyber resilience, although related, had different objectives.

While cybersecurity focuses on preventing and defending against attacks, he said cyber resilience involves the ability to recover and maintain operations after an attack has occurred.

He warned that artificial intelligence had transformed the threat landscape by giving cybercriminals sophisticated tools to generate fake voices, videos and images, manipulate public perception and carry out advanced social engineering attacks.

“In the age of AI, cybersecurity is a different game. It is no more like the cybersecurity we knew before,” he said, stressing that organisations must now deploy AI-assisted defence mechanisms to counter increasingly sophisticated attacks.

Inuwa also warned that cybercriminals were increasingly targeting people rather than computer systems because manipulating human behaviour could provide easier access to sensitive information and digital infrastructure.

He urged individuals and institutions to strengthen their ability to identify manipulated content and distinguish authentic information from AI-generated misinformation.

Beyond protecting individuals and networks, the NITDA director-general said Nigeria must strengthen its digital sovereignty by developing greater control over its digital infrastructure, data, technology and artificial intelligence systems.

He disclosed that NITDA was working with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the National Assembly to review the Cybercrimes Act and strengthen the country’s cybersecurity policy framework.

The agency, he added, was considering the development of a national cybersecurity architecture with minimum standards to guide organisations in protecting their systems and digital assets.

Inuwa also highlighted the National Sovereign Cloud Regulatory Instrument issued by NITDA, saying it was designed to address issues relating to data, infrastructure, cloud technology and artificial intelligence.

He said Nigeria must also assess whether AI agents deployed across different sectors understand the country’s culture, languages and operating environment, and whether their decision-making processes can be adequately understood and controlled.

Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, the commission’s representative emphasised that telecommunications infrastructure had become central to Nigeria’s digital economy and national security.

He said the increasing use of AI had accelerated the speed and scale of cyberattacks, requiring a shift from traditional defensive measures to systems capable of anticipating threats, withstanding attacks and recovering without disrupting essential services.

Maida noted that cyber threats now included AI-driven phishing, automated credential attacks, deepfakes designed to bypass security checks and malware capable of changing its behaviour to evade detection.

He cited reported cyber incidents involving internet-connected supermarket refrigeration systems in France and spyware attacks targeting journalists and media personnel in the Middle East as examples of the growing sophistication of digital threats.

According to him, such incidents underscored the vulnerabilities that Nigeria must prepare to confront.

Maida said the NCC had established its Computer Security Incident Response Team (NCC-CSIRT) to monitor threats, coordinate intelligence sharing and strengthen incident reporting across the telecommunications industry.

He added that the commission’s Cyber Resilience Framework for the Nigerian Communications Sector established common security baselines for licensed operators and supported coordination with national cybersecurity bodies, including the Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT).

The NCC chief executive called on telecommunications operators to adopt Zero Trust Architecture, a security model based on continuous verification rather than automatic trust, while ensuring that AI systems integrated into network operations were regularly assessed for vulnerabilities.

He further urged regulators, telecommunications operators, financial institutions, security agencies and international partners to deepen cooperation, noting that an attack on one critical sector could affect several others.

Representing the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, said Nigeria’s legal and enforcement institutions must evolve alongside rapid technological changes.

Oyedepo said cybercrime had expanded beyond online fraud to include business email compromise, cryptocurrency-enabled fraud, sextortion, child exploitation and AI-assisted deception, with many offences crossing national borders.

He reaffirmed the importance of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015, as amended, in Nigeria’s response to digital offences.

He also disclosed that work was advancing on a third executive bill to strengthen the country’s legal framework, building on Nigeria’s engagement with international cybercrime cooperation mechanisms and consultations on emerging legal challenges.

According to him, the proposed reforms should strengthen the preservation and exchange of electronic evidence, improve investigations and prosecutions, and protect human rights and the rule of law.

“Security must protect liberty, not become an excuse to undermine it,” he said, advocating a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to cybersecurity.

Oyedepo added that the Federal Government would consider useful recommendations from the conference in developing proposals for presentation to the National Assembly.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu, described the conference as an opportunity to advance technology diplomacy and strengthen Nigeria’s international partnerships in the digital sector.

He said the participation of foreign legislators reflected growing international interest in Nigeria’s technology initiatives and reinforced the country’s potential as a destination for business, investment and collaboration.

Similarly, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, Hon. Adedeji Stanley Olajide, described cybersecurity as a constantly evolving challenge that required continuous learning, innovation and adaptation.

Olajide warned that security strategies effective today might become inadequate tomorrow as artificial intelligence continued to transform the methods available to cybercriminals.

He called for stronger collaboration among cybersecurity professionals, policymakers, diplomats, judicial officers and government agencies, stressing that cyber threats transcended national and continental boundaries.

The lawmaker urged countries across Africa, Europe, Asia, the Americas and Latin America to recognise cybersecurity as a shared challenge requiring coordinated international action.

The Chair of the Council of Europe’s Cybercrime Convention Committee, Pedro Verdelho, also called for greater public awareness of the risks associated with digital technologies.

He observed that AI and other digital tools had become integral to everyday activities, including online searches, travel planning and commercial transactions, while public understanding of the associated security risks remained inadequate.

Verdelho highlighted the Budapest Convention as an important international framework for facilitating cooperation against cybercrime and improving access to electronic evidence. He welcomed the participation of countries in the region in international efforts to combat digital offences.

The Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria, Anna Westerholm, said cybersecurity was essential to building public confidence in digital transformation, warning that increased connectivity also exposed individuals, businesses and institutions to greater risks.

She said Nigeria’s digital transformation offered significant opportunities for innovation, economic growth and inclusion, adding that Sweden and Swedish companies were supporting the country’s digital development.

The conference is expected to strengthen collaboration among government institutions, private-sector organizations and international partners on practical strategies for building cyber resilience and protecting citizens, networks and national digital infrastructure in the age of artificial intelligence.