By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening cybersecurity and protecting the digital rights and privacy of Nigerians through the implementation of new policies, legal frameworks and coordinated institutional efforts.
The assurance was given on Monday, 16 March,2026 in Abuja by the Assistant Director, Cybersecurity Department of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Dr. Ayodele Bakare, during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), where he explained that the government had developed multiple regulatory and policy instruments to secure the country’s digital space and improve cyber governance.
Bakare said cybersecurity implementation in Nigeria is carried out through a collaborative structure involving several government institutions, each assigned specific responsibilities within the national framework.
According to him, overall coordination is handled by the Office of the National Security Adviser through the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre, which serves as the operational arm for national cyber defence.
“At the national level, cybersecurity implementation is done collectively, and different government organisations are responsible for implementing different aspects of the national cybersecurity framework,” he said.
“At the top, however, the Office of the National Security Adviser coordinates these efforts through the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre,” he added.
He noted that one of the major policy instruments guiding the country’s cybersecurity efforts is the National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy Framework, which provides direction for protecting critical information infrastructure and digital assets.
Bakare also highlighted the Cybercrimes (Prohibition and Prevention) Act 2015 as a key legal tool supporting the country’s cybersecurity architecture, explaining that the law was recently amended in 2024 to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to respond to cyber threats and digital crimes.
Furthermore, he said NITDA had introduced sector-specific regulations aimed at enhancing security in digital transactions and communications across the country.
“One of such regulations is the National Public Key Infrastructure Regulation, which is one of the core infrastructures required to ensure trust and security in digital communications and transactions,” he said.
Bakare recalled that NITDA played a pioneering role in Nigeria’s data protection regime with the introduction of the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation in 2019, which later evolved into a broader legal framework.
He explained that the regulation laid the foundation for the current data protection system now being enforced by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission.
In addition, he disclosed that the agency is finalising a new Information Security Regulation that will soon be released to the public, noting that the guideline would define responsibilities for organisations and individuals in protecting information and digital assets.
He said the steady expansion of legal and regulatory measures has contributed to Nigeria’s improved performance in global cybersecurity assessments.
“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,” Bakare said.
“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 added.
Bakare emphasised that effective implementation of the existing frameworks would depend on sustained cooperation among government institutions, private sector operators and other stakeholders.
He said continued collaboration remained essential to safeguarding Nigeria’s digital ecosystem and ensuring that citizens’ rights and privacy are protected in the evolving online environment.
