The Federal Government has announced plans to establish a National Cybersecurity Coordination Council as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s collective cyber resilience and safeguard its digital economy.
   
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, who announced this on X, yesterday, emphasised that cybersecurity is a shared national responsibility requiring strong partnerships, trusted collaboration, and vigilance across government, industry, and civil society.
   
Recall that recent cyber incidents have disrupted operations across major private institutions, public systems, and Nigeria’s services industry, highlighting the growing sophistication of organised cyber threats. As such, the proposed council aims to provide a multi-stakeholder platform for coordination, trusted information sharing, and advisory support to government strategies.
   
The council is expected to draw participation from Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) across major sectors, cybersecurity professional associations and the Nigerian Computer Society, international technology providers and OEMs operating in Nigeria, digital security researchers and technical experts, law enforcement agencies, civil society organisations, and government ministries, departments, and agencies with cybersecurity responsibilities.
   
The stakeholders will collaborate on threat intelligence sharing mechanisms, sector-wide cyber defence protocols, capacity-building programmes for Nigeria’s cybersecurity workforce, incident response and recovery frameworks, and governance and regulatory alignment to enhance accountability and readiness.
   
To drive this initiative, the minister has directed the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Galaxy Backbone Limited, and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to jointly establish a technical coordination secretariat within NITDA. This secretariat will develop the initial Terms of Reference (ToR) and guide stakeholder engagement.
   
Further, the ministry is expected to convene a National Cybersecurity Industry Roundtable in April 2026, marking the formal commencement of stakeholder consultations. This roundtable will serve as a platform for technical dialogue, partnership development, and the co-creation of the council’s operational framework.
 
Tijani said: “Cybersecurity is a shared national responsibility. Protecting Nigeria’s digital economy requires strong partnerships, trusted collaboration, and collective vigilance. 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.”