The Nigerian Communications Commission has warned that the increasing use of artificial intelligence by cybercriminals poses serious threats to Nigeria’s telecommunications networks, banking system and national security.
The Executive Vice-Chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, gave the warning on Tuesday at the second International Cybersecurity Conference in Abuja, noting that AI-powered cyberattacks were becoming more advanced and capable of compromising digital infrastructure and financial transactions.
Maida, who was represented by the commission’s Executive Commissioner for Technical Services, Sunday Oshadami, identified several emerging threats, including sophisticated phishing attacks, automated attempts to steal login credentials, deepfake technology used to bypass security checks and self-modifying malware.
“We now face AI-driven phishing tailored to individuals, automated credential attacks, deepfakes designed to bypass multi-factor authentication, and malware that rewrites itself to evade detection.”
He explained that telecommunications infrastructure had become essential to Nigeria’s digital economy, facilitating financial transactions, business activities, public services and communication. Consequently, any disruption to telecom networks could have far-reaching implications for other critical sectors.
“An attack on a telecom provider is an attack on the financial sector, national defence, and civil governance,” he stated.
The NCC chief said artificial intelligence had changed the nature of cybercrime by enabling attackers to detect system weaknesses and carry out sophisticated operations at speeds that conventional security systems might struggle to match.
“We are no longer defending against human hackers operating at human speed; we are confronting machine learning systems operating at microsecond computational speed,” Maida said.
He cited reported attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems in France and a spyware campaign that targeted at least 45 devices belonging to journalists and media personnel in the Middle East between 2024 and 2025 as examples of the growing sophistication of cyber threats.
Maida noted that the Federal Government’s classification of telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure underscored the importance of strengthening the protection of communication networks against cyberattacks.
He disclosed that the commission had established a Computer Security Incident Response Team to monitor emerging threats, facilitate intelligence sharing and ensure that security incidents were reported.
According to him, the NCC had also introduced a Cyber Resilience Framework to establish common security standards for licensed telecommunications operators.
He urged telecom operators to implement zero-trust security systems, regularly assess artificial intelligence models for vulnerabilities and build networks capable of recovering from cyberattacks without prolonged service interruptions.
Also speaking at the conference, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Kashifu Abdullahi, said cybercriminals were increasingly exploiting human weaknesses rather than directly targeting technological infrastructure.
Abdullahi said NITDA was working with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the National Assembly to review the Cybercrime Act.
He added that the agency was also exploring the development of a national cybersecurity architecture and measures to strengthen Nigeria’s digital sovereignty.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo, said the ministry was developing legislative reforms to address emerging cyber threats.
Fagbemi explained that the proposed reforms would strengthen the handling of electronic evidence, investigations and prosecutions while safeguarding fundamental rights.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, Shuaib Salisu, proposed the introduction of a national cybersecurity resilience index to evaluate organisations’ preparedness for cyber threats.
He also called for improved cooperation among government agencies and stronger regional collaboration to enhance digital security.
