
By Joy Onuorah
Nigeria’s digital space is under siege.
At the National Cybercrimes Summit 2024, the NITDA boss, Kashifu Inuwa, boldly urged both public and private sectors to ramp up cybersecurity training.
“We are sitting on a ticking time bomb,” Inuwa declared as he addressed the audience at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
With over 3,300 cyber-attacks weekly across Africa, Inuwa didn’t sugarcoat the situation. “Cybercrime has infiltrated every corner of our lives,” he said, pointing out that it now targets everything from mobile phones to smart TVs and even cars.
“It’s no longer just a laptop issue,” he emphasized, showing how deeply embedded the threat has become.
The stakes couldn’t be higher, especially for Nigeria’s financial sector, which remains one of the most vulnerable. “We are losing billions to these attacks every year,” Inuwa lamented, urging both the public and private sectors to take swift, collective action.

“The cost of inaction is far greater than the investment we need to protect ourselves,” he added, highlighting the necessity of immediate cybersecurity measures.
According to Inuwa, the root of the problem is clear; Nigeria’s young people are being driven into cybercrime by poverty, unemployment, and lack of alternatives.
“They’re not evil, they’re desperate,” he said with conviction. “When all they see is a broken system, they turn to the quickest way out. We must offer them a different path.”
Inuwa proposed a solution: digital literacy and job creation. “We have to equip our youth with the skills they need to thrive in the digital economy, not just survive through crime,” he argued. “The digital economy holds the key to millions of jobs. It’s time to open that door.”
The summit, which included key figures like First Lady Oluremi Tinubu and the Sultan of Sokoto, also saw the unveiling of the EFCC Rapid Response Centre, a 24/7 helpline aimed at curbing cybercrime.
But while this initiative is a step forward, Inuwa insisted it’s not enough. “We can’t just fight cybercrime on the surface. We need to dig deep into its causes and prevent it from taking root in the first place,” he urged.