Photo: Naziftm / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Nigeria’s push to expand its digital economy will depend on whether it can build cyber resilience fast enough to meet AI-enabled threats, speakers at a major Abuja conference have warned.
A shared threat beyond borders
At the second International Cybersecurity Conference, ICSC 2026, officials and cybersecurity specialists called for coordinated international action against attacks enabled or accelerated by artificial intelligence.
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The two-day event, held in Abuja on 27 and 28 October, focused on cyber resilience in the age of AI. Its programme brought together Nigerian government agencies, regulators, law enforcement, technology companies and international partners to discuss risks to critical infrastructure, telecommunications, financial services and public institutions.
Speakers warned that AI is making phishing, impersonation, fraud and other forms of digital crime easier to scale. The central message was that protecting networks alone is no longer enough: governments, businesses and citizens must also be prepared to recognise manipulation and verify what they see online.
Resilience, not only prevention
Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, director-general of the National Information Technology Development Agency, said cybersecurity and cyber resilience must work together. Prevention remains essential, but organisations must also be able to keep vital services operating and recover quickly when defences fail.
That distinction matters in Nigeria, where banking, mobile communications, government services and small businesses are increasingly dependent on digital systems. A successful attack can therefore carry consequences far beyond a single company, disrupting access to money, information and essential services.
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The conference agenda also addressed AI-powered defence, deepfakes, financial crime, critical national infrastructure, cybercrime investigations and international legal assistance. Delegates examined the challenge of holding institutions accountable where automated tools are used to detect or respond to attacks.
Law, skills and cooperation
Representatives of the Nigerian Communications Commission, the International Telecommunication Union and the Central Bank of Nigeria were among those urging tougher safeguards, investment in protection systems and more effective incident-response coordination.
Pedro Verdelho, chair of the Council of Europe’s Cybercrime Convention Committee, highlighted the need for public awareness alongside stronger legal cooperation. Cross-border investigations are often slowed by differing rules and procedures, even when offenders, victims and evidence span multiple jurisdictions.
For African countries, that challenge is especially pressing. Digital services can widen access to commerce, education and public services, but weak security can deepen mistrust and expose communities to scams, identity theft and financial loss.
Why this matters
The debate in Abuja is not only about technology. It is about protecting the digital gains on which young entrepreneurs, African businesses and diaspora-linked families increasingly rely.
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As AI expands both innovation and criminal capability, the demand from ICSC 2026 was clear: Nigeria and its partners need practical rules, trained specialists, public awareness and trusted international cooperation—not isolated responses after the damage is done.