The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has warned that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making cyberattacks faster, more sophisticated and harder to detect, calling for stronger collaboration and improved security infrastructure.
The NCC Executive Vice-Chairman, Dr. Aminu Maida, raised alarm on Tuesday during the 2nd International Cybersecurity Conference (ICSC) in Abuja under the theme; “Cyber Resilience in the Age of AI: Defending Minds, Networks and Nation”.
Maida said telecom infrastructure now underpins Nigeria’s digital economy, from financial transactions to communications and public services, making its protection a matter of national security.
He said cyber resilience must go beyond prevention to building capacity to anticipate, withstand, and recover from disruptions.
He listed emerging AI-driven threats to include phishing, automated credential stuffing, deepfakes deployed to beat authentication systems, and self-modifying malware that evades detection.
Citing recent global incidents including attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems in France and spyware targeting journalists in the Middle East, Maida said Nigeria must strengthen its digital defences.
He referenced Section 4 of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 which mandates NCC to protect consumer rights and safeguard communications infrastructure, noting that the Commission has set up the NCC Computer Security Incident Response Team, NCC-CSIRT, to monitor threats and coordinate sector-wide response, alongside its cyber resilience framework that provides common standards for operators and strengthens coordination with ngCERT.
Maida identified three pillars for resilience: protecting human minds through awareness, securing networks through robust architecture, and defending the nation through collaboration among regulators, telcos, banks and security agencies.
He urged operators to adopt Zero Trust Architecture that requires continuous verification of users and systems, and to regularly audit AI models integrated into network operations.
Also speaking, National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, represented by Prof. Gerald Ilukwe of ONSA, said digital development and national security are now inseparable.
Ribadu said AI offers tools to strengthen defences but also enables criminals to clone voices, run sophisticated scams and spread disinformation. He urged citizens to verify identities and authenticate suspicious requests.
He stressed the need to secure digital supply chains including AI models, data services and third-party providers, warning that vulnerability in one organisation can compromise critical national infrastructure.
He said ONSA, through the National Cyber Security Coordination Centre, is strengthening inter-agency coordination, providing labs and cyber ranges to analyse threats and test response, while review of National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy last updated in 2021 is ongoing to tackle AI-enabled fraud, supply-chain risks, workforce gaps and international cooperation.
“Recommendations from this conference will feed into the ongoing review. The revised strategy will establish measurable priorities, promote accountability and strengthen capacity to respond to incidents,” he said.
The Chairman, House Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, Rep. Ayodeji Stanley, described cybersecurity as a moving target requiring continuous innovation, adaptive laws and global cooperation.
Drawing from experience working on complex IT systems in the US, Stanley said migration from traditional computing to cloud has introduced new security challenges, urging policymakers, experts and industry to develop forward-looking solutions that protect critical sectors including food security, noting that cyberattacks go beyond digital disruption.