The Vietnamese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Bui Quoc Hung, has disclosed that the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), will lead Nigeria’s delegation to the global signing ceremony of the United Nations Convention Against Cybercrime, scheduled to hold in Hanoi, Vietnam, from October 25 to 26, 2025.

Hung, who disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during a press briefing at the Vietnamese Embassy, noted that cybercrime had caused an estimated $10 trillion in global losses in 2025 alone.

He added that Africa had lost about $3 billion to digital crimes in the past six years, according to Interpol.

He said the high-level convention, themed “Countering Cybercrime – Sharing Responsibility – Securing Our Future,” will bring together 108 country delegations, including 10 led by presidents and vice presidents, and about 30 led by ministers.

“We have extended an invitation to President Bola Tinubu, but due to his busy schedule, he has assigned the Minister of Justice to lead the Nigerian delegation,” the envoy stated.

Hung revealed that the event, also known as the Hanoi Convention, is the first of its kind in over two decades, stating that the last one was held in Budapest, Hungary, in 2001.

The envoy stressed that Vietnam was committed to helping developing countries, including Nigeria, strengthen data protection, cybersecurity laws, and digital governance mechanisms.

He said, “Vietnam wants to serve as a reliable bridge between developing and developed countries in combating cybercrime. We are hopeful that, on the sidelines of the convention, our two justice ministries will finalise and possibly sign a Memorandum of Understanding on legal and technical cooperation.”

Hung said the country had undertaken major political and administrative reforms, saying they have contributed to Vietnam’s strong economic performance, with its GDP projected to reach $510 billion in 2025, up from $470 billion in 2024.

He added that Vietnam is now the 32nd largest economy in the world, targeting a growth rate of between 6.8 and eight per cent this year.

Hung also revealed that Vietnam has established diplomatic relations with all 193 member states of the United Nations and was recently re-elected to the UN Security Council for a second term.