Vanessa Obioha
The proposed establishment of the Nigerian Ministerial Advisory Council for Cybersecurity Coordination (NG-MACC) by the Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, is beginning to take shape as stakeholders gathered in Lagos for deliberations.
The meeting was the second stakeholder engagement since the inaugural session held in Abuja.
At the event, held yesterday at Four Points by Sheraton in Victoria Island, Lagos, stakeholders from government, academia, industry and the broader digital ecosystem expressed both interest and concerns about the proposed council.
Tijani had proposed the council as a platform for collaborative action to build a more secure digital economy in response to growing cyber threats facing public and private institutions. At the inaugural session, the minister said the council would focus on developing a coordinated national cyber resilience framework anchored on accountability, intelligence sharing, policy alignment and cross-sector collaboration.
However, stakeholders sought clarification on how information-sharing mechanisms would operate and how the government intends to respond to emerging threats from technologies such as quantum computing and artificial intelligence.
Representing the minister, the National Commissioner of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr Vincent Olatunji, underscored the importance of cybersecurity, noting that Nigeria experiences cyberattacks frequently, with one occurring every 39 seconds.
“What we have experienced in the last three months at the NDPC is as if there is now a deliberate plan to attack government infrastructure,” he said.
He stressed that the government alone cannot address the challenge, highlighting the need for stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors to build national cyber resilience.
In a presentation delivered on behalf of the minister, participants were briefed on the proposed structure, membership and operational framework of the council.
Key areas identified for consensus include addressing coordination challenges, strengthening rather than duplicating existing authorities, building trust between public and private institutions, enhancing information sharing, promoting industry development and defining strategic objectives.
The minister proposed a 21-member Executive Council to be chaired by him, with a private-sector representative serving as co-chair and the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) acting as secretary. Other members would include representatives from relevant government agencies, including the NDPC, as well as nominated stakeholders.
Under the proposed governance structure, President Bola Tinubu would sit at the apex, with the minister reporting directly to him. The Executive Council, comprising the Standing Committee and General Council, would operate under the minister’s supervision, while NITDA would provide administrative support.
The presentation also outlined immediate priorities, including the development of a national cyber resilience framework, threat intelligence sharing, industry development strategies, tackling online harms and cybercrime, strengthening information security standards and protecting critical infrastructure.
The next phase of the initiative will involve a 90-day roadmap running from June to September 2026. Planned activities include the nomination, confirmation and inauguration of council and committee members, as well as the development of the council’s first work plan.
According to the minister, the importance of NG-MACC cannot be overstated. As Nigeria enters a new phase of digital transformation, cyber risks continue to rise, making collective action essential to safeguarding the country’s digital economy.
