The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has tasked telecommunications operators with strengthening their defences against artificial intelligence (AI)-powered cyberattacks.

The commission warned that the growing integration of AI into core network functions was creating new vulnerabilities that required stronger security measures.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, gave the charge on Tuesday at the second International Cybersecurity Conference (ICSC) in Abuja, organised by the commission in collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

Maida, represented by the Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Engr. Sunday Abraham Oshadami, urged operators to adopt Zero Trust Architecture, a security model that requires continuous verification of users, devices and access requests rather than automatically trusting connections within a network.

He said telecom operators must also regularly examine their AI systems for weaknesses that could allow attackers to manipulate their operations or compromise network security.

“As we integrate machine learning and AI deeper into core network functions, we must continuously audit these models for algorithmic backdoors, data poisoning, and unauthorised automated modifications,” he said.

The NCC chief said operators must design their networks to withstand attacks, recover quickly from disruptions and continue providing essential services under adverse conditions.

He warned that AI had changed the scale and speed of cyber warfare, with attackers deploying automated systems to identify vulnerabilities and launch attacks faster than conventional security measures could respond.

According to him, emerging threats include AI-driven phishing tailored to individuals, automated attempts to steal login credentials, deepfakes designed to bypass security checks and malware capable of changing its behaviour to avoid detection.

Maida said telecommunications infrastructure was central to Nigeria’s digital economy, supporting financial transactions, business operations, communications and critical public services.

He noted that the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 mandates the commission to protect consumer interests and ensure the safety, reliability and technical efficiency of communications services.

He added that the designation of telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure placed a greater responsibility on operators and regulators to prevent attacks that could threaten national security.

To strengthen the sector’s response, the NCC established its Computer Security Incident Response Team (NCC-CSIRT) to monitor threats, coordinate intelligence sharing, and enforce mandatory incident reporting.

The commission has also introduced a Cyber Resilience Framework for the Nigerian communications sector, providing common security standards for licensed operators and promoting coordination with the national Computer Emergency Response Team, ngCERT.

Beyond network protection, Maida urged Nigerians and organisations to improve their awareness of AI-enabled manipulation, warning that criminals increasingly exploit human trust to gain access to sensitive information and systems.

He said effective cyber resilience required coordinated action by regulators, telecom operators, financial institutions, security agencies and international partners.

Also speaking, the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said cybersecurity had become more complex in the age of AI, requiring organisations to prepare not only to prevent attacks but also to recover when their defences were breached.

Abdullahi said cyber resilience went beyond protecting digital infrastructure to include defending people against manipulation through AI-generated voices, videos, pictures and other deceptive content.

He argued that criminals often found it easier to exploit people than to breach sophisticated technological systems, making public awareness an important part of national cybersecurity.

The NITDA director-general disclosed that the previous edition of the conference attracted more than 600 participants from 175 organisations, while more than 700 participants had registered for this year’s event. He said the figure could rise further as registration continued.

He added that the decision to expand the conference’s reach internationally was intended to encourage cooperation among cybersecurity professionals and institutions in West and Central Africa and other regions.

Abdullahi also called for greater Nigerian control over digital infrastructure, data and AI technologies, saying the country needed to understand how the systems it deployed processed information and made decisions.

He said NITDA had issued the National Sovereign Cloud Regulatory Instrument to address issues relating to data, infrastructure, cloud technology and AI.

In his remarks, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, called for stronger laws and institutions to tackle increasingly sophisticated cybercrime.

Fagbemi said cybercrime now threatened financial systems, national security, personal dignity and public trust, with criminals exploiting business email compromise, cryptocurrency-enabled fraud, sextortion, child exploitation and AI-assisted deception.

He added that the government was working to strengthen the country’s legal framework to support investigations, preserve electronic evidence and improve prosecutions while protecting human rights and the rule of law.

“A nation is not cyber secure mainly because it possesses advanced technology. It is cyber secure when its laws are effective, its institutions are prepared and its people are protected,” Fagbemi noted.

The conference, themed “Cyber Resilience in the Age of AI: Defending Minds, Networks and Nations”, examined strategies for protecting people, telecommunications infrastructure and national digital systems against emerging cyber threats.