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Capacity Building for Cyber Security in Nigeria

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One of the biggest challenges on the internet today is cyber crime. This is because, hackers are becoming more sophisticated by the day. In order to ensure that the internet is much safer, there is the need to train more experts in this emerging field of Cyber Security.

I recently had a chat with Remi Afon, the President of the Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria, CSEAN, and he shared his views on capacity building for the Cyber Security industry, especially, in Nigeria.

Remi said that, presently, we have a shortage of Cyber Security professionals in Nigeria as well as a global shortage in that field. He stated that the global shortage is, in fact, going to hit about 1.8 million in the next 5 years, from research conducted.

He went further to state that Nigeria is not doing anything to breach the gap, unlike in the UK, for instance, where some young talents are being trained. These trainees, he said, will form a sort of cyber army for the UK in future.

Expanding on what the UK is currently doing about getting more Cyber Security professionals, Remi said that the UK just created a Cyber Security Academy that will develop the talents of people between the ages of 16 and 19, to protect the UK’s cyber space.

He stated that, according to a research by Security Intelligence in America, there are about 30 countries building security capabilities.

It is, therefore, not only the UK that is building its Cyber Security capabilities, but other countries like Russia, North Korea, etc., are also developing talents that will be able to defend their cyber space. He reiterated that some countries are even developing  professionals for offensive capabilities in the cyber space and these are known as rouge nations.

On who is funding the Cyber Security Academy in the UK, Remi said that some NGO’s are funding it with the backing of the British government.

On what is missing that makes Nigeria not to have enough Cyber Security professionals, Remi is of the view that Nigeria started on a faulty foundation. He stated that we do not have these courses offered in our universities and institutes, therefore, the need for awareness campaign.

Remi opined that, Nigeria can start training Cyber Security professionals that will even service part of the shortfall in Cyber Security professionals expected worldwide in the next 5 years. This, according to him, is because one can operate from anywhere in the world. “All you need to do is to have a security operative centre in Nigeria, being manned by Nigerians and you will be servicing a lot of multinational organisations”, Remi said.

Responding to the question as to what Nigeria should be doing at this time to up our ante in the cyber security space because the cyber space is fast becoming unsafe on daily basis, Remi stated that there is need for collaborative efforts to fight cyber crime.

He opined that government needs to take the leadership role in this mobilisation for collaboration and the Private sector and NGO’s too should come together, so they will have a common front to fight the menace.

In Remi’s view, the private sector is not yet doing enough because, presently, there is no leadership. “If the government provides leadership, the private sector will fall in line without coercion.

Examples abound all over the world”, Remi said. “All that the government needs to do is to provide us the platform and not money as everything is not about money. All it needs to provide is the leadership and every other sector will fall in place and support the efforts of government”, he stressed.

Stating some of the risks we face in the future if nothing is done to check cyber crimes, Remi stated that we face risks, now and in the future. These include the country being hacked, national elections can be influenced by foreign countries, etc. As the 2019 elections is fast approaching, Remi said that Nigeria should be ready for hackers, hence, there is the need for the government, politicians, etc., to find means of protecting their data. ” Everybody needs to be cyber security conscious “, Remi emphasised.

Stating the requirements for becoming a Cyber Security professional, Remi stated that the first step is to join the CSEAN, a platform where they can be trained in the field of Cyber Security, through the needed guidance and leadership.

They can also specialise in training to become ethical hackers, etc, according to him. He also stated that there are also other resources they can tap from online. They can then sit for and pass their exams to earn certification. Remi said that they are also taught the ethics of the profession too as everything is not all about hacking. He stated that having a degree to join up in the cyber security space is no longer relevant as there is no need to put a barrier because it has been found out that most hackers are not even educated, while some are teenagers still in secondary schools.

Remi commended the efforts of the CFA team in posting video clips of Online Security segment of the Tech Trends on Channels Television show on YouTube in order to educate people about the risks involved while online and how to circumvent them. He also assured that his Association also assists by re-posting and sharing the posts on social media, so that it can reach more online users.

In his final submission, Remi stated that people should take cyber security seriously. “We should not allow it to happen to us before we start looking for remedies”, he advised. He stated that, in line with his Association’s initiative called “Stop, Think On It”, he is now advising people to key into it and be careful with what they share online. ” When you see any information, email or attachment, think twice and be sure it is coming from a legitimate source and verify first before you click on it”, he concluded.

 


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Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

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E-Business

Galaxy Backbone, Rural Electrification Agency Commit to Deepening Digital and Energy Access Across Nigeria

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In a major step towards deepening Nigeria’s digital and energy infrastructure, Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at a brief but impactful ceremony held in Abuja.

The MoU signals a collaborative effort between both agencies to enhance Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda by integrating reliable energy solutions with cutting-edge ICT infrastructure, especially in higher institutions, Government institutions, underserved and rural communities across the country.

Speaking at the event, the Managing Director/CEO of Galaxy Backbone, Professor Ibrahim A. Adeyanju, described the partnership as “a landmark moment in Nigeria’s journey towards a digitally empowered, sustainably powered, and inclusively connected nation.”

“This partnership exemplifies what is possible when two visionary government institutions come together, united by shared goals and driven by the desire to improve the lives of Nigerians everywhere,” he said.

Professor Adeyanju emphasized that while Galaxy Backbone’s core mandate is to provide secure digital infrastructure that powers government operations, reliable and sustainable energy particularly in rural areas is essential to fully actualize digital transformation.

Major highlights of the MoU include:

  • Solar electrification of some of GBB’s Metro Fibre sites in Abuja by the REA.
  • Powering Hostels of Higher Institutions across the country through the Fibre to Hostel Project being driven by the Federal Ministry of Communications Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE).
  • Support for the rollout of the 774 Local Government Digitization Initiative, beginning with six pilot Local Government Areas.
  • Provision of LANs, access points, cloud services, colocation infrastructure, and temporary connectivity to enhance REA’s operational facilities nationwide.

The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency Mr Abba Aliyu, in his remarks, expressed optimism that this collaboration will further bridge the digital and energy divide across Nigeria. He noted that by combining REA’s achievements in expanding energy access with GBB’s robust ICT backbone, both agencies are poised to create lasting impact across governance, education, healthcare, and entrepreneurship.

This partnership is also in direct alignment with the Renewed Hope Digital Transformation Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, which envisions an inclusive digital economy powered by innovation and sustainable energy.

The ceremony was attended by top management from both organizations as well as members of the media.

With today’s signing, Galaxy Backbone and the Rural Electrification Agency have set the tone for stronger, smarter, and more inclusive public service delivery powered by strategic inter-agency collaboration.


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NIMC Says NIN Services Back Online

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National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced the restoration of its National Identification Number (NIN) verification services nationwide.

NIMC Says NIN Services Back Online

This, according to the commission, follows the completion of a system maintenance exercise.

In a statement issued on Friday, the NIMC confirmed that all previously disrupted services have resumed.

“NIMC wishes to inform the general public that the recent technical maintenance has been completed and all services have been restored,” the statement read.

The NIMC urged Nigerians seeking to enroll for NIN to visit the its official website to locate the nearest enrollment centers.

The agency also encouraged individuals to make use of its self-service portal for tasks such as data modification, including name changes.

To further ease the verification process, the Commission recommended downloading the NIMC NameAuth app (oath.app) from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store for quick and secure NIN authentication.

NIMC expressed appreciation for the public’s patience during the service disruption, which had impacted banks, telecom providers, and government agencies that rely on NIN verification for their operations.

 


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Report Reveals African Organizations Dangerously Overestimating Cyber defences

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Many businesses are overestimating their defence against cyber attacks, which creates a significant human risk blind spot. A new KnowBe4 report exposes a worrying disconnect between what leaders think about their cyber security readiness and what employees experience.

According to the KnowBe4 Africa Human Risk Management Report 2025, based on insights from cyber security decision-makers across 30 African countries, despite high awareness, a critical gap exists in turning that awareness into actual readiness and resilient behaviour.

Key findings from the KnowBe4 Africa Human Risk Management Report 2025:

Confidence vs awareness: While cyber security awareness is high, leaders express uncertainty about their workforce’s ability to act on that awareness. Many feel employees may overestimate their capabilities in recognising, reporting and mitigating threats.

The need for adaptive and personalised security awareness training: Many companies fail to personalise security awareness training to specific roles or risk exposures.

Widespread BYOD usage: A large percentage of employees (between 41% and 80%) use their personal devices for work.

AI policy development is lagging: Many companies (46%) are still in the process of developing policies for using AI tools in the workplace.

Regional variation: Southern Africa trains more, East Africa governs AI better and West/Central Africa sees the most human-related security incidents.

This gap is significant because Africa has become an attractive target to cyber criminals, especially those that launch AI-powered attacks. A LexisNexis Risk Solutions study found 60% of South African organisations have seen an increase in AI-facilitated financial crime – above the 56% global average.

Kehinde Popoola, regional manager and key representative for West and East Africa at Rubrik, said digital transformation is gaining momentum in Africa and companies are more exposed to cyber risk. The Rubrik executive adds that amid an increase in threats, it is crucial that organisations adopt an assumed breach mindset.

The KnowBe4 research shows that cyber security preparedness and the actual structures required to support secure behaviour seem misaligned.

The report highlights that just 10% of cyber security leaders are fully confident that staff would report a phishing attack or other cyber threat, despite rating employee security awareness of cyber threats at four out of five or higher.

There is also a significant perception gap between decision-makers and general employees in Africa regarding security awareness training, with 68% of leaders believing that training is tailored to roles, compared to only a third of employees feeling adequately trained.

KnowBe4 asserts that many organisations only conduct annual or biannual training that is too generic to effectively change behaviour, contributing to uncertainty about its effectiveness.

According to another report, the KnowBe4 African Cybersecurity and Awareness Report 2025, which focuses on end-user based responses, only 43% of African respondents felt confident in their ability to recognise a cyber threat, and just one in three believed their security awareness training was adequately tailored to their role. This comparison suggests the development of a dangerous perception gap in many organisations.

“There’s a disconnect here – between what leaders think is happening and what employees are actually experiencing,” says Anna Collard, SVP content strategy and evangelist at KnowBe4 Africa. “The data shows that without procedural and cultural follow-through, awareness simply doesn’t translate into readiness.”

“The continent’s cyber security posture may be more confident than it is truly resilient,” Collard adds.

 


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