Experts in information technology have warned that Nigeria’s economic growth and digital development depend heavily on strong cybersecurity measures, stressing that inadequate protection of digital infrastructure could leave the country trailing in the global technology landscape.
The warning came during the maiden Annual Summit of the Professor Ademola Ojo Emmanuel Foundation (PAOEF) in Abuja, which also featured the public launch of the book Leading the Digital Future. The event brought together policymakers, IT professionals, educators, youth leaders and private-sector stakeholders to discuss strategies for strengthening Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
Delivering the keynote address, Africa’s first Professor of Cybersecurity and Information Technology Management, Ademola Ojo Emmanuel, urged Nigeria to shift from merely consuming digital technologies to becoming a global innovator. He highlighted that data is now critical national infrastructure, and cybersecurity must be at the heart of national security planning.
“Innovation drives economic growth. If we do not prepare, we will fall behind. If we do not innovate, we stagnate”, Emmanuel said, emphasizing the role of education in equipping young people with digital skills for ethical leadership and innovation.
At the summit, Emmanuel unveiled the “Abuja Compact”, a seven-pillar framework guiding Nigeria’s digital transformation. The pillars include trusted digital identity, national data infrastructure, affordable broadband access, AI-enabled public services, cybersecurity as national defence, startup empowerment, human capital development, and ethics and public trust.
He stressed the importance of embedding cybersecurity into national defence and fostering entrepreneurship, urging Nigeria to transition from digital consumption to digital creation.
Also speaking, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, who was represented, described Leading the Digital Future as a practical roadmap for Nigeria’s digital advancement.
He emphasized that while technology presents immense opportunities, it also carries risks that must be managed.
“Technology must enhance human dignity, not diminish it,” he said, encouraging young Nigerians to become creators of the digital future. He urged policymakers to ensure technological growth remains ethical, inclusive and citizen-focused.
“The future is not something we predict, it is something we create. Nigeria must lead with vision, values, and courage to build a digital future worthy of our children,” Inuwa added.
