The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Kashifu Inuwa, has warned that the era of treating cybersecurity as a purely technical concern is over, urging a shift toward what he described as “total resilience” in response to increasingly sophisticated digital threats. Speaking at the GITEX Africa 2026, Inuwa said the rapid rise of artificial intelligence driven attacks demands a broader, more strategic approach that goes beyond technology.
Addressing participants during a panel session on cyber resilience, Inuwa described the global digital landscape as being at a critical turning point, where emerging technologies are reshaping not only economies but also the nature of cyber warfare. He stressed that national security in the digital age now depends on a combination of policy direction, human capacity, institutional processes, and robust infrastructure, rather than reliance on software tools alone.
Highlighting the human dimension of cybersecurity, Inuwa disclosed that about 95 percent of cyber breaches are linked to human error, making digital literacy a central pillar of Nigeria’s defence strategy. He explained that the government is prioritising programmes that empower citizens with the knowledge to navigate digital systems safely, including a national target to achieve 95 percent digital literacy by 2030, with an interim goal of 70 percent by 2027.
He further pointed to initiatives such as the 3 Million Tech Talent programme aimed at building local expertise in areas like cybersecurity, data science, and artificial intelligence, while also strengthening legal and institutional frameworks such as the Cybercrime Act and national threat monitoring systems. According to him, Nigeria’s approach now emphasises collaboration between government and private sector players, with the ultimate goal of building a secure, innovation driven digital economy capable of withstanding the evolving threats of the AI era.