Musa pushes AI, robotics, cybersecurity in defence reform plan
Federal Government has unveiled plans to establish a National Cybersecurity Council to strengthen coordination among key stakeholders, improve cyber resilience, and support Nigeria’s rapidly expanding digital economy.

This was disclosed at the Second Stakeholder Session towards the Establishment of a Ministerial Advisory Council for Cybersecurity Coordination, held in Lagos.

Representing the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, the National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr Vincent Olatunji, emphasised the need for stronger collaboration among government agencies, the private sector, security institutions, academia, and industry groups to address growing digital challenges.

Olatunji said the government was committed to engaging stakeholders across sectors to ensure that policies and initiatives reflect the realities of Nigeria’s evolving digital ecosystem.

He stressed that technology and innovation had become critical drivers of economic growth, noting that increasing cyber threats required a coordinated national response.

According to him, data protection, cybersecurity, and digital trust remain central to Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.

The proposed council, which is still undergoing stakeholder consultations, is expected to serve as a platform for information sharing, policy coordination, industry engagement, and strategic advice to the government on cybersecurity and digital development issues.

As the plan for the council unfolds, Nigeria’s Defence Minister, Gen. Christopher Musa, has called on the country’s tech community, including innovators, researchers and startups, to play a more active role in strengthening national security through locally developed solutions.

He made the appeal in Lagos during the Omniverse Africa 3.0 Summit, where he delivered a keynote address titled “The 70/30 Rule: Why Nigeria’s Security and Innovation Agendas are the Same National Project”, according to a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde.

Musa argued that modern security challenges could no longer be addressed solely through traditional military equipment, stressing the need for Nigeria to move away from heavy reliance on imported defence technology and instead build its own capabilities.

He said the country must combine military strength with innovation, strategic foresight and industrial capacity, adding that the future of security would depend on technological advancement as much as operational strength.

According to him, the Ministry of Defence is already reviewing its policies, procurement systems and training frameworks to place greater emphasis on emerging technologies such as unmanned systems, robotics, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence governance, surveillance tools, secure communications, data-driven decision-making systems and local manufacturing capacity.