From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Abdullahi, has disclosed that the country currently faces a staggering 90.6 per cent cybersecurity workforce deficit, with only 25,760 professionals available to protect a population of over 220 million.
Abdullahi said the country needs at least 275,000 cybersecurity professionals to meet global standards, based on a benchmark of one cybersecurity expert per 800 citizens. However, Nigeria’s current ratio stands at one expert to every 8,000 people, far below the global average.
The alarming figures were presented at the opening of the two-day National Cybersecurity Conference in Abuja on Wednesday, where stakeholders from government, the private sector, academia and international organisations gathered to strategise on building resilience in the digital space.
He said the shortage of skilled personnel poses a major threat to the country’s digital economy, national security and critical infrastructure, especially as cyberattacks become increasingly sophisticated and frequent.
To address the gap, Abdullahi said the agency is implementing initiatives such as the National Digital Literacy Framework and the 3 Million Tech Talent programme to build local capacity and equip Nigerians with the right skills.
He added that NITDA has developed an eight-pillar strategic roadmap aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. These include fostering digital literacy, cultivating tech talent, enhancing digital trust, strengthening policies and legal frameworks, and building infrastructure for cybersecurity.
“This is not just a conference, this is a movement for us to build our national cybersecurity resilience for our future and the future is digital.
“Our vision is to make Nigeria a digitally empowered nation, fostering an inclusive economic growth through technological innovation.
“Cybersecurity is about humans. Based on World Economic Forum, more than 95 per cent of cyber breaches are as a result of human errors. Therefore, our first line of defense is human.
“Resilience is about thinking, anticipating. One day the bad guys will get in. When they get in, how can we protect? How can we detect that they are in? How can we deter them away? And how can we respond and make sure business continuity and our services are entered? That is what resilience is all about,” he stated.
Also speaking at the event, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, called on global tech companies and investors to look to Nigeria as a hub for digital innovation, describing Lagos as a modern, vibrant and secure city that is ready for global partnerships.
Ribadu praised the country’s young, educated population and described President Bola Tinubu as a “digital president” committed to building a secure digital economy.
“We have a quality leadership today. Our President is modern, enlightened, and American-trained. He understands what it takes to drive a resilient digital Nigeria,” he said.
He outlined steps already taken by government to strengthen the country’s cybersecurity infrastructure, including the operationalisation of the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre, a presidential executive order to designate digital systems as critical national infrastructure, and the ongoing review of the National Cybersecurity Policy and Cybercrimes Act to reflect current realities like AI, crypto threats and disinformation.
Ribadu called for stronger synergy between public institutions and private players, urging stakeholders to move from talk to action.
His words, “To our friends in the private sector, we are not just partners; we are in a relationship built on trust, shared values, and national vision.
“We must design with security in mind. We must invest in digital safety. We must embed resilience into the DNA of every situation, every sector and every system.
“Together, we can ensure that Nigeria is not only a digital leader in the continent, but a secure one.”
He urged participants not to treat the conference as just another event, but as a defining moment in the country’s journey toward a safer digital future.