The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is advocating for stronger collaboration across various sectors of the Nigerian economy to bolster resilience against increasing cyber threats. Dr. Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice-Chairman and CEO of NCC, made this call during the opening session of a workshop focused on protecting the nation’s Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), held in Abuja.

The workshop, organized by the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre (NCCC) under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), brought together policymakers, regulators, and stakeholders to discuss cybersecurity challenges and explore collective actions to safeguard telecom infrastructure.

In his keynote address, Dr. Maida emphasized the urgency of implementing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Executive Order on CNII protection. He stressed that the Executive Order, which focuses on ensuring the resilience of the country’s telecom networks, will enable networks to recover quickly from cyber incidents, thus maintaining public and business trust in the infrastructure.

“The CNII Order emphasizes resilience—a principle that ensures our networks can recover swiftly from incidents, keeping the public and businesses confident in the telecom infrastructure they rely on every day,” Maida stated.

Additionally, Maida announced the creation of a Trusted Information Sharing Network (TISN) designed to enhance information sharing and risk assessment related to the CNII. The network, which will be led by ONSA and supported by key government bodies and private sector stakeholders, aims to identify threats, assess vulnerabilities, and build capacity for implementing effective security measures.

“A Trusted Information Sharing Network will help to foster communication and collaboration between government agencies, information infrastructure operators, and relevant private sector organizations,” Maida added. “This network will facilitate the sharing of threats and vulnerabilities, enabling decentralized risk assessments and promoting proactive security efforts.”

The event also saw other stakeholders underscoring the importance of inter-sectoral collaboration to address rising cyber threats, such as fraud and cyber espionage, which pose significant risks to Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.

By strengthening partnerships and collective efforts across sectors, the NCC and its partners aim to build a more resilient and secure digital environment for Nigeria’s telecom industry.