The Federal Government has revealed its plan to establish a Cybersecurity Coordination Council with the private sector to strengthen Nigeria’s collective cyber resilience and enhance coordinated responses to evolving cyber threats across the public and private sectors.
The effort was disclosed in a statement signed by the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, on Wednesday, noting the government’s collaborative work with the private sector and key stakeholders to tackle cyber threats across various sectors of the country.
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According to the minister, the proposed council is envisioned as a non-statutory, multi-stakeholder coordination platform, designed to convene key actors and strengthen partnerships that support efficient coordination, trusted information sharing, and sustained cooperation among institutions responsible for advancing Nigeria’s cybersecurity posture.
Mr Tijani said the council will also provide advisory support to the Federal Government on strategies, collaborative frameworks, and information-sharing mechanisms necessary to enhance national cyber resilience.
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Cyber threats
The digital economy minister noted that the initiative follows recent cybersecurity incidents that have posed significant risks to customers and disrupted operations across major private institutions, public systems, and Nigeria’s services industry.
He explained that the incidents underscore the increasingly coordinated and sophisticated nature of cyber threats, driven by organised threat actors and malicious networks seeking to undermine trust in Nigeria’s growing digital ecosystem.
“In response, the Federal Government will promote structured partnerships and strengthen cyber collaboration frameworks among government institutions, private-sector operators, industry associations, and regulatory bodies responsible for cybersecurity, in consultation with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
“This approach reflects the Government’s recognition that modern cyber threats demand collective defence models, trusted threat intelligence sharing, and multi-stakeholder coordination across sectors,” the statement read.
Cybersecurity council
The proposed Cybersecurity Coordination Council is expected to draw participation from a broad range of stakeholders, including Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) across major sectors, recognised cybersecurity professional associations, the Nigerian Computer Society, and Cybersecurity and trust teams of international technology providers.
Other stakeholders proposed to participate in the initiative include Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) operating in Nigeria, Digital security researchers and technical experts, Law enforcement agencies, Civil society organisations, and Government ministries, departments, and agencies with responsibilities relating to cybersecurity, digital infrastructure, and information governance.
Mr Tijani reiterated that the collective efforts of the Council stakeholders will ensure the development of early detection mechanisms for cyber threats and the coordination of mechanisms that enable cyber risk management across various sectors in the country.
Through this collaborative engagement, the minister stated that stakeholders will work collectively to develop trusted mechanisms for sharing threat intelligence to improve early detection and coordinated responses to cyber incidents, and to develop sector-wide cyber defence and resilience protocols aligned with national cybersecurity strategies.
The stakeholders are also expected to coordinate capacity-building programmes to strengthen Nigeria’s cybersecurity workforce and institutional resilience, Operational coordination mechanisms to support incident response, recovery, and cyber risk management.
They will also support governance and regulatory alignment frameworks to enhance accountability, interoperability, and national cyber readiness, when necessary.
Terms of Reference
To support the consultative process toward establishing the Council, the minister also 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 facilitate the establishment of a technical coordination secretariat and to develop initial Terms of Reference (ToR) to guide stakeholder engagement and participation.
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According to Mr Tijani, the secretariat will be domiciled within NITDA. It will operate under the strategic coordination of the Minister’s Office to ensure alignment with national cybersecurity priorities and cross-sector collaboration objectives.
“As part of this engagement process, the Ministry will convene a national cybersecurity industry roundtable in April 2026, which will serve as the formal commencement of stakeholder consultations and provide a platform for technical dialogue, partnership development, and co-creation of the operational framework for the proposed Council,” he stated.
Speaking further on the initiative, the communications minister emphasised the importance of collective national action to safeguard Nigeria’s digital infrastructure, noting that efforts to counter cyber threats are a shared national responsibility.
“Cybersecurity is a shared national responsibility. Protecting Nigeria’s digital economy requires strong partnerships, trusted collaboration, and collective vigilance across government, industry, and civil society.
“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,” Mr Tijani said.
The minister further encouraged stakeholders across all sectors to actively participate in the consultative process and help shape a sustainable, partnership-led cybersecurity model that can deter cybercriminal activity and protect citizens, businesses, and national digital infrastructure.
