By our Correspondent
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has urged telecommunications operators to strengthen their cybersecurity defences against artificial intelligence-driven attacks, warning that vulnerabilities in telecoms networks could threaten Nigeria’s digital economy and critical sectors.
The Executive Vice-Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, called on operators to enhance network security and regularly audit their artificial intelligence systems to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.
Represented by the Executive Commissioner for Technical Services, Engr. Sunday Abraham Oshadami, Maida made the call at the second International Cybersecurity Conference in Abuja.
He urged operators to adopt Zero Trust Architecture, a security framework that requires continuous verification of users, devices and access requests rather than automatically trusting connections within a network.
“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.
Maida noted a reported cyberattack incidents in France involving internet-connected refrigeration systems at hundreds of supermarkets. He also referred to a spyware campaign in the Middle East that reportedly targeted at least 45 devices belonging to journalists and media personnel between 2024 and 2025.
He said telecommunications networks underpin financial transactions, business operations, communications and critical public services, making their protection essential to national security.
According to him, the NCC’s Computer Security Incident Response Team monitors cyber threats, coordinates intelligence sharing and supports incident reporting across the telecommunications sector.
Speaking at the conference, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Dr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, called for stronger national cyber defences to protect Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
He advocated broader measures to safeguard citizens, digital infrastructure and sensitive data against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, stressing that cyber resilience involved not only preventing attacks but also recovering from them and protecting people from manipulation.
“Hackers focus more on hacking people than systems because it is easier to hack people to get what you want than to hack the system itself,” he said.
Abdullahi warned that artificial intelligence could be exploited to generate deceptive voices, videos and images, making it increasingly difficult for people to distinguish authentic information from manipulated content.
He said NITDA was working with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the National Assembly on a review of the Cybercrime Act.
The agency was also developing a national cybersecurity architecture to establish minimum security standards for organisations.
The NITDA boss added that the agency had issued the National Sovereign Cloud Regulatory Instrument to address issues relating to data, infrastructure, cloud technology and artificial intelligence.
Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Justice said it was advancing a draft executive bill to strengthen Nigeria’s legal response to emerging cybercrime threats.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, called for stronger legal measures to combat cybercrime.
Represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, Fagbemi said the proposed reforms would support investigations and prosecutions, as well as the preservation and exchange of electronic evidence, while safeguarding human rights.
He expressed concern that cybercrime had become a threat to financial systems, national security, personal dignity and public trust. “Security must protect liberty, not become an excuse to undermine it,” he said.
The two-day conference, themed “Cyber Resilience in the Age of AI: Defending Minds, Networks and Nations,” brought together cybersecurity professionals and other stakeholders to examine strategies for protecting individuals, telecommunications networks and national digital infrastructure against emerging threats. (GSF)
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