Co esponding au ho : Chen Yizhen.
Copy igh © 2025 Au ho (s) e ain he copy igh o his a icle. This a icle is published unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion License 4.0.
Cybe secu i y in Nige ia: Eme ging issues, domes ic go e nance and in e na ional
coope a ion
Chen Yizhen *
Ins i u e o A ican S udies (College o A ican A ea and Coun y S udies), Zhejiang No mal Uni e si y, Jinhua, China.
Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 26(02), 935-942
Publica ion his o y: Recei ed on 28 Ma ch 2025; e ised on 05 May 2025; accep ed on 08 May 2025
A icle DOI: h ps://doi.o g/10.30574/wja .2025.26.2.1687
Abs ac
D i en by ac o s such as digi iza ion, ad anced echnology, la ge elecom ope a o s, in e ne pene a ion, and
go e nmen ini ia i es, Nige ia is ega ded as A ica’s la ges in o ma ion and communica ions echnology (ICT)
ma ke . Cybe space p esen s signi ican oppo uni ies ha enhance communica ion, and boos business and socio-
economic p ospe i y in Nige ia. A he same ime, as a majo economy in A ica, Nige ia aces complex and di e se
challenges in e ms o cybe secu i y. While cybe c iminals h i e o exploi any ulne abili y o hei gains, he Nige ia
Go e nmen has aken some measu es o sa egua d i s cybe space. This s udy used seconda y sou ce me hodology by
e e ing p e ious and ela ed esea ch wo ks including books, a icles, news among o he s, e alua ed he e o s o he
Nige ia Go e nmen in he coo dina ion o cybe secu i y in he coun y and coope a ion wi h he majo cybe powe s
in he wo ld. I holds signi ican p ac ical signi icance o unde s anding he de elopmen o A ica in he digi al
e olu ion e a. I also se es as a aluable supplemen o exis ing esea ch on cybe secu i y in Nige ia, he eby
enhancing i s academic ele ance.
Keywo ds: Cybe secu i y; Go e nance; Coope a ion; Nige ia; A ica; China
1. In oduc ion
Wi h he wide applica ion o In e ne , Nige ia is enjoying he echnological di idend while also acing cybe secu i y
h ea s such as cybe -a acks, da a leaks and malwa e. The economic, inancial and epu a ional implica ion and
po en ial impac o hese cybe c ime ela ed ac i i ies a e signi ican , wi h po en ial nega i e ami ica ions on he
na ional economy, business ope a ions, and pe sonal secu i y.
Nige ia’s cybe space is expe iencing an inc ease in digi al ans o ma ion [1]. In Nige ia, he cybe c ime has inc eased
due o he g ow h, adop ion and inc eased in eg a ion o digi al echnologies in he co e ib e o daily usage by he
populace. The cybe ela ed c imes ange om inancial aud, social enginee ing, iden i y he , so wa e pi acy,
hacking, cybe espionage, and many mo e [2].
To add ess he inc easing cybe c imes and i s impac on he na ional economy, he Nige ian go e nmen has o mula ed
and implemen ed a se ies o policies and ini ia i es. Howe e , hese measu es s ill exhibi limi a ions. Mo ing o wa d,
Nige ia will need o con inuously upda e and enhance hese s a egies while p oac i ely collabo a ing wi h leading
cybe powe s o be e add ess eme ging cybe secu i y issues.
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2. Eme ging Cybe secu i y Issues in Nige ia
Cybe c ime is a common occu ence in Nige ia. Acco ding o he epo om he Nige ian Communica ion Commission
(NCC) Nige ia loses abou $500m yea ly o cybe c ime. This accoun s o 0.08 pe cen o he coun y’s G oss Domes ic
P oduc . Mos cases o cybe c imes in Nige ia a e a esul o unau ho ised access o he p i a e da a o indi iduals [3].
I is no uncommon o people o ecei e emails, sms, cha s and e en oice calls de ailing hei p i a e in o ma ion.
Cybe Secu i y Expe s Associa ion o Nige ia (CSEAN) indica es ha Cybe secu i y emains a c i ical conce n o
Nige ia as he na ion con inues i s digi al ans o ma ion. As Nige ia’s digi al economy con inues o g ow, so does he
complexi y o i s cybe secu i y landscape, acco ding o he Nige ia Cybe secu i y Ou look 2025 published by
consul ancy Deloi e [4]. In ecen yea s, wi h he apid de elopmen o he digi al e olu ion, some new issues ha e
eme ged in he ield o cybe secu i y in Nige ia, such as AI-Powe ed A acks, C yp ocu ency Scams, Thi d-Pa y Risk,
Iden i y The and F aud, Cybe Talen D ain, e c.
2.1. AI-Powe ed A acks/AI-Assis ed Cybe c imes
The adop ion o A i icial In elligence (AI) is empowe ing cybe c iminals. AI-powe ed a acks a e making cybe h ea s
mo e sophis ica ed, au oma ed, and p ecise. Malicious ac o s a e using AI o au oma e phishing campaigns, c ea e
polymo phic malwa e ha e ade de ec ion, and c a hype - ealis ic deep akes. AI ampli ies he scale and p ecision o
cybe a acks, mo ing hem close o pandemic-like p opo ions. Cybe c iminals a e inc easingly exploi ing he abili y
o Gene a i e AI (Gen AI) o mimic human communica ion and c ea e hype - ealis ic con en . In a coun y al eady
g appling wi h phishing and social enginee ing a acks, AI gene a ed ake emails, ex s, and oice impe sona ions a e
poised o make scams i ually indis inguishable om legi ima e communica ion. Da a p i acy conce ns a e also
moun ing as hese AI models equi e ex ensi e da ase s o aining, o en in ol ing sensi i e pe sonal o co po a e
in o ma ion. "Yahoo Boys" le e age ad anced AI ools such as deep akes, enabling mo e ealis ic phishing, social
enginee ing, omance, and sex o ion a acks [5]. As AI echniques e ol e, h ea ac o s can manipula e oice and ideo
con en wi h s a ling p ecision, unde mining us in digi al communica ions.
2.2. C yp ocu ency Scams
The su ge in c yp ocu ency scams is se o escala e, d i en in pa by ising c yp o p ices ollowing Donald T ump's
eelec ion and his p omise o bols e he sec o by easing egula ions and es ablishing a Na ional S a egic Bi coin
Rese e. This op imis ic clima e will likely spa k inc eased in es men s bu also heigh ened oppo uni ies o aud,
especially in Nige ia, which boas s he wo ld's la ges c yp o-awa e popula ion [6]. Nige ia eco ded he highes a es
o c yp ocu ency owne ship wo ldwide, malicious ac o s will exploi his e o , a ge ing inexpe ienced and eage
in es o s h ough ac ics such as social media c yp o gi eaway scams, Ponzi schemes, ug pulls, ake c yp ocu ency
exchanges, and phony in es men pla o ms.
2.3. Thi d-Pa y Risk
As Nige ia’s digi al economy con inues o expand, hi d-pa y isks a e becoming inc easingly conce ning.
Cybe c iminals equen ly a ge he weakes links in he supply chain, exploi ing gaps in hi d pa ies’ secu i y
p ac ices. This challenge is exace ba ed by he widesp ead adop ion o cloud-based solu ions, including inancial
applica ions, HR pla o ms, and documen -signing ools, which a e now commonplace ac oss Nige ia. Addi ionally, he
p oli e a ion o Applica ion P og amming In e aces (APIs), which a e c i ical o in eg a ing applica ions and enabling
seamless ope a ions ac oss en i ies, in oduces new ulne abili ies. Poo ly secu ed APIs can se e as en y poin s o
a acke s, allowing unau ho ized access o sys ems and da a. The in e connec ed na u e o APIs means a single
comp omised in eg a ion can ha e a ipple e ec ac oss mul iple sys ems, escala ing he impac o an a ack.
2.4. Iden i y The and F aud
As digi al ans o ma ion accele a es, iden i y he and aud a e becoming inc easingly pe asi e in Nige ia, aising
se ious conce ns o businesses and indi iduals alike. Wi h he g owing eliance on online se ices o banking, e-
comme ce, and communica ion, cybe c iminals a e le e aging ad anced ools and ac ics o s eal pe sonal in o ma ion,
inancial da a, and co po a e iden i ies. Acco ding o he Nige ia In e -Bank Se lemen Sys em (NIBSS) epo eleased
in 2024, he e we e no able inciden s in ol ing auds e s using echniques such as social enginee ing o gain
unau ho ized access o sensi i e in o ma ion and success ully pe o ming accoun akeo e s. The apid adop ion o
digi al paymen sys ems, mobile banking, and e-comme ce pla o ms in Nige ia has also ueled he g ow h o hese
c imes. Wi h many businesses s ill wo king on enhancing hei secu i y in as uc u e, c iminals a e inding new ways
o exploi sys em weaknesses and gain access o consume s’ inancial in o ma ion.
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2.5. “Japa” o P o essionals/ Cybe Talen D ain
In Nige ia, "Japa” (de i ed om Yo uba o mean " unaway" o "escape") has become emblema ic o skilled p o essionals
emig a ing o be e p ospec s. The cybe secu i y alen sho age is a p essing global issue, bu in Nige ia, i has
eached a c i ical le el. O e he pas ew yea s, he coun y has expe ienced a signi ican b ain d ain in i s cybe secu i y
wo k o ce, wi h many expe s seeking oppo uni ies ab oad due o be e pay, ca ee g ow h, and s abili y. In 2024, his
end su ged among in o ma ion echnology and cybe secu i y expe s, d i en by economic ins abili y, soa ing in la ion,
and he dep ecia ing cu ency. The depa u e o hese specialized wo ke s has se e ely impac ed sec o s hea ily elian
on obus digi al in as uc u e, mos no ably banking. As he pool o p o essionals sh inks, o ganiza ions g apple wi h
heigh ened ulne abili ies, lea ing c i ical sys ems exposed o sophis ica ed a acks. This phenomenon will con inue,
po en ially s aining Nige ia's digi al ecosys em e en u he .
3. Cybe secu i y Go e nance in Nige ia
As a way o ensu ing a sa e and secu e cybe space o Nige ians, Nige ia has issued a se ies o laws and egula ions in
he ield o ICT, digi al, and Cybe space.
3.1. Cybe c imes (P ohibi ion, P e en ion, e c) Ac , 2015 and i s amendmen
In a bid o pu in place a s onge legal amewo k o cu b cybe c ime, he Go e nmen pu o wa d a e ision o he
exis ing cybe c ime legisla ion in Sep embe 2008. The bill i led “A Bill o an Ac o P o ide o he P ohibi ion o
Elec onic F aud in all Elec onic T ansac ions in Nige ia and o O he Rela ed Ma e s” passed a second eading in
No embe 2012 a he Sena e. In May 2015, he cybe c ime bill was signed in o law, p ope ly de ining he ac as
unlaw ul wi h penal ies a ached o any disobedience o he law— he Ac , known as he Cybe c imes (P ohibi ion,
P e en ion, e c) Ac , 2015. The objec i es o he Ac a e o:
• p o ide an e ec i e and uni ied legal, egula o y and ins i u ional amewo k o he p ohibi ion, p e en ion,
de ec ion, p osecu ion and punishmen o cybe c imes in Nige ia;
• ensu e he p o ec ion o c i ical na ional in o ma ion in as uc u e; and
• p omo e cybe secu i y and he p o ec ion o compu e sys ems and ne wo ks, elec onic communica ions, da a
and compu e p og ams, in ellec ual p ope y and p i acy igh s.
The Ac 2015 c ea es a legal, egula o y and ins i u ional amewo k o he go e nance o cybe c imes and o he
ela ed ma e s. Pa icula ly, he Ac engende s a pla o m o cybe secu i y and, in u n, ensu es he p o ec ion o
compu e sys ems and ne wo ks, elec onic communica ions, da a and compu e p og ams, in ellec ual p ope y,
p i acy igh s, as well as p ese a ion and p o ec ion o c i ical na ional in o ma ion. Ac 2015, is, hus, he i s
legisla ion in Nige ia ha deals speci ically wi h cybe c imes and cybe secu i y, and c ea es a comp ehensi e legal,
egula o y, and ins i u ional amewo k o p ohibi , p e en , de ec , p osecu e, and punish cybe c ime. The Ac
p esc ibes s ingen penal ies o o ende s and pe pe a o s o cybe c ime, which s ipula es ha , any c ime o inju y
on c i ical na ional in o ma ion in as uc u e, sales o p e egis e ed SIM ca ds, unlaw ul access o compu e sys ems,
Cybe -Te o ism, among o he s, would be punishable unde he new law.
Howe e , he Ac 2015 was pe cei ed by expe s wi h mixed eelings. Apa om he ambigui y and lack decisi e oles
o he Ac , he e a e he inabili y o p o ide mode n ools o su eillance, he ine ec i e ope a ion and applica ion o
he law ailed o p e en cybe c imes. In addi ion, expe s lamen ed ha al hough he Ac 2015 succeeded in making
some couple o a es s, he selec i e ea men o o ende s and a pe cei ed c ackdown on poli ical opponen s is
bas a dising he law [7]. In 2024, he e o e, Cybe c imes (p ohibi ion, p e en ion, e c) (amendmen ) ac , 2024 amended
he Ac 2015 o inse some consequen ial wo ds ha we e inad e en ly omi ed in he Ac , such as he amendmen o
sec ion 17, 21, 22, 24, 27, 30, 37, 38, 41, 44, 48, which makes he p o isions o he Ac 2015 clea e o a ce ain ex en .
Following he enac men o his Amendmen Ac 2024 and pu suan o he p o ision o Sec ion 44 (2)(a) o he Ac , "a
le y o 0.5%(0.005) equi alen o a hal pe cen o all elec onic ansac ions alue by he business speci ied in he
Second Schedule o he Ac ", is o be emi ed o he Na ional Cybe secu i y Fund (NCF), which shall be adminis e ed by
he O ice o he Na ional Secu i y Ad ise (ONSA). A e ha , Cen al Bank o Nige ia (CBN) published a ci cula named
Implemen a ion Guidance On The Collec ion And Remi ance O The Na ional Cybe secu i y Le y o di ec banks and o he
inancial ins i u ions o s a cha ging a cybe secu i y le y on all banking ansac ions. Bu amid widesp ead public
c i icism o he scheme as he cos o li ing ises and he nai a cu ency alls, Nige ia had o suspend he planned le y
on domes ic money ans e s o und cybe secu i y [8].
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3.2. Na ional Cybe secu i y Policy and S a egy 2021
The Nige ian go e nmen has implemen ed a numbe o measu es o s eng hen na ional secu i y as a esul o ealizing
how impo an i is o comba cybe h ea s. The Na ional Cybe secu i y Policy and S a egy 2021 is a signi ican s ep in
his di ec ion. In Feb ua y 2021, Nige ia un eiled his policy as he o e a ching policy and s a egy amewo k o
d i ing Nige ia’s cybe secu i y e o s owa ds he a ainmen o ou na ional objec i es, which is a pu pose ul and
li ing documen which ou lines he oadmap o ealisa ion o Nige ia’s cybe secu i y ision o “a sa e and secu e digi al
communi y ha p o ides oppo uni ies o i s ci izen y and p omo es peace ul and p oac i e engagemen s in
cybe space o enhanced na ional p ospe i y”, and mission o “ o os e a us ed cybe en i onmen ha op imises
Nige ia's cybe secu i y eadiness and coo dina ion capaci ies owa ds add essing he na ion's cybe isk exposu e.”
The Policy is a con luence o ends, ways and means which a icula es he e o s o alls akeholde s and emplaces Nige ia
Na ional Cybe secu i y P og amme on 8 c i ical pilla s:
Sou ce: Na ional Cybe secu i y Policy and S a egy 2021[9]
Figu e 1 8 Pilla s o o m he suppo o Na ional Cybe secu i y P og amme
To deli e he objec i es o Na ional Cybe secu i y P og amme, he Policy ha e an Implemen a ion Plan ha is i s
oadmap o d i ing success, measu ing p og ess and ans o ming i s p esc ibed s a egic ac ions in o eali y. Nige ia's
cybe space will be secu ed by he comple e amewo k ou lined in his policy. The policy aims o add ess he g owing
dange s posed by cybe -a acks by emphasizing enhanced go e nance, in o ma ion sha ing, capaci y building, and
public-p i a e pa ne ships. Addi ionally, he policy also ocuses on imp o ing inciden esponse capabili ies and
os e ing in e na ional coope a ion o e ec i ely ackle cybe h ea s. Howe e , he s udy disco e ed ha hese e o s
a e no ye su icien , since issues such as es ic ed en o cemen , insu icien cybe secu i y awa eness, and a ained
labo sca ci y con inue. Fu he mo e, de iciencies in coope a ion among c i ical agencies and un eliable epo ing o
cybe a acks unde mine he o e all secu i y pos u e [10].
3.3. Nige ia Da a P o ec ion Ac , 2023
To p e en c iminals om accessing p i a e da a, bank in o ma ion, and o he pe sonal in o ma ion, he Nige ian
go e nmen pu in place measu es o p omo e da a p o ec ion in he coun y. Sec ion 37 o he Cons i u ion o he
Fede al Republic o Nige ia (FRN) gua an ees p i acy p o ec ions o ci izens in hei homes, co espondence, elephone
con e sa ions and eleg aphic communica ions. In o de o implemen his and p epa e Nige ia o he digi al economy,
Nige ia has issued he Nige ia Cloud Compu ing Policy (2019), Nige ia Da a P o ec ion Regula ion (2019), and o he
policies and egula ions, which p o ides o Nige ians o ha e g ea e con ol o e how hei da a is collec ed, sha ed,
and used. Based on ha , The Nige ian Go e nmen inally enac ed he Nige ia Da a P o ec ion Ac , 2023, whose
objec i es a e o:
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• sa egua d he undamen al igh s and eedoms, and he in e es s o da a subjec s, as gua an eed unde he
Cons i u ion o he Fede al Republic o Nige ia, 1999;
• p o ide o he egula ion o p ocessing o pe sonal da a;
• p omo e da a p ocessing p ac ices ha sa egua d he secu i y o pe sonal da a and p i acy o da a subjec s;
• ensu e ha pe sonal da a is p ocessed in a ai , law ul and accoun able manne ;
• p o ec da a subjec s' igh s, and p o ide means o ecou se and emedies, in he e en o he b each o he da a
subjec 's igh s;
• ensu e ha da a con olle s and da a p ocesso s ul il hei obliga ions o da a subjec s;
• es ablish an impa ial, independen , and e ec i e egula o y Commission o supe in end o e da a p o ec ion
and p i acy issues, and supe ise da a con olle s and da a p ocesso s;and
• s eng hen he legal ounda ions o he na ional digi al economy and gua an ee he pa icipa ion o Nige ia in
he egional and global economies h ough he bene icial and us ed use o pe sonal da a.
Besides p o iding a legal amewo k o he p o ec ion o pe sonal in o ma ion, his Ac also es ablishes he Nige ia
Da a P o ec ion Commission (NDPC) o o e see he implemen a ion o he p o isions o his Ac , egula e he p ocessing
o pe sonal in o ma ion, p omo ing da a p ocessing p ac ices ha sa egua d he secu i y o pe sonal da a and he
p i acy o da a ci izens, ins i u ions, and o ganiza ions. As Nige ia con inues o make i s ma k wi hin he global digi al
economy and apidly expand i s echnology ecosys em, his Ac ep esen s a con inued ocus on p o ec ing he pe sonal
da a o Nige ian ci izens, in alignmen wi h common in e na ionally accep ed p inciples o da a p o ec ion. Howe e ,
he Ac con ains unique p o isions ha should no be o e looked, including a new classi ica ion o da a con olle s and
p ocesso s “o majo impo ance” and speci ic obliga ions a ached o hem, as well as b oade p o ec ions o exemp
p ocessing ac i i ies. O e all, he Ac ep esen s a signi ican s ep in Nige ian da a p o ec ion and no ably esol es he
long- unning dispu e ega ding he iden i y and ins i u ional au ho i y o Nige ia’s p ima y da a p o ec ion egula o
[11].
3.4. O he ins i u ions and policies ela ed o cybe secu i y
The agencies enac ed by law play a i al ole in comba ing and p osecu ing cybe c iminals. This will se e a s ong
de e en which will ul ima ely aid in he educ ion o cybe c imes in he socie y a la ge. Some law en o cemen
agencies include: The specialized uni s wi hin he Nige ian Police Fo ce and o he secu i y agencies a e asked wi h
in es iga ing and p osecu ing cybe c ime cases; Economic and Financial C imes Commission(EFCC); Na ional
In o ma ion Technology De elopmen Agency(NITDA); O ice o he Na ional Secu i y Ad ise (ONSA)-Na ional
Cybe secu i y Coo dina ion Cen e(NCCC); Nige ian Communica ions Commission(NCC); Independen Co up
P ac ices and O he Rela ed O ences Commission(ICPC).
Nige ian go e nmen has also es ablished Cybe secu i y Cen e s, namely, he NITDA’s Compu e Eme gency Readiness
and Response Team (CERRT), he Nige ian Communica ions Commission (NCC)’s Compu e Secu i y Inciden Response
Team (CSIRT), and Galaxy Backbone (GBB)’s Secu i y Ope a ions Cen e (SOC). These Cen e s we e es ablished a e
2020 in line wi h he Nige ian go e nmen policy di ec i es and ha e been moni o ing Nige ian cybe space o po en ial
h ea s and aking app op ia e ac ions o mi iga e hem, bo h indi idually and collec i ely as well as in collabo a ion
wi h o he s akeholde s. Nige ia has aken se e al measu es o secu e da a and cybe space in 2022: Nige ia Da a
P o ec ion Bu eau (NDPB) was es ablished o ad ance da a p o ec ion and p i acy; NITDA issued a code o conduc
aimed a guiding he ac i i ies o social media companies in he coun y, equi ing Facebook, Twi e , and o he s o open
local o ices and pay axes o ensu e ha Nige ia ully u ilizes he po en ial o he digi al economy while sa egua ding
he secu i y and in e es s o he coun y and i s ci izens; and he Na ional Sha ed Se ices Cen e (NSSC) was es ablished
o suppo he ICT indus y, de elop he digi al economy and wo k o comba cybe c ime.
Some policies ela ed o cybe secu i y, like he Na ional Policy on 5G o Nige ia's Digi al Economy was also eleased,
wi h he o me Nige ian P esiden Muhammadu Buha i saying he ede al go e nmen would ake comple e ad an age
o he oppo uni ies ha 5G p o ides o he economy, secu i y, and well-being o he na ion. The o me Nige ian
p esiden di ec ed all he secu i y ins i u ions o immedia ely le e age on he 5G echnology, when deployed, o enhance
secu i y in he coun y. In May 2025, Nige ia launched Na ional A i icial In elligence S a egy o accele a e AI
de elopmen , p oduc i i y, and economic g ow h ac oss sec o s. “Cybe secu i y is equi ed wi hin he AI s a egy,
inco po a ing cybe secu i y measu es speci ic o AI sys ems, mi iga ing po en ial ulne abili ies, and ensu ing he
secu i y o AI-powe ed applica ions,” he S a egy eads,“The g owing dependence on digi al asse s and he escala ing
na u e o cybe h ea s emphasise he u gen need o s ong cybe secu i y measu es o p o ec agains po en ial
h ea s in Nige ia's apidly changing digi al landscape” [12]. And one o i s objec i e is o de elop and implemen AI and
AI-d i en aining and educa ion sys ems ha iden i y, nu u e, and de elop di e se AI alen ac oss he di e en AI
domains and ela ed a eas like cybe secu i y.
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4. Nige ia's In e na ional Coope a ion in Cybe secu i y
In addi ion o abo emen ioned laws and policies, Nige ia is also le e aging in e na ional coope a ion o sol e
cybe secu i y issues and p omo e digi al de elopmen .
4.1. Coope a ion wi h global o ganiza ions
Globally, Nige ia collabo a es wi h he In e na ional Telecommunica ion Union (ITU) o p o ec i s cybe space,
bene i ing om amewo ks like he Global Cybe secu i y Agenda. I wo ks wi h In e pol o ackle cybe c ime and
engages wi h he O ganiza ion o he Islamic Coope a ion-Compu e Eme gency Response Teams (OIC-CERT) o
cybe secu i y enhancemen s. Nige ia's digi al iden i y ini ia i e is also unded by he Wo ld Bank.
4.2. Coope a ion wi h Eu ope
In July 2022, Nige ia acceded o he Council o Eu ope Con en ion on cybe c ime (ETS No. 185), which is known as he
Budapes Con en ion. The Con en ion en e ed in o o ce o Nige ia on 1 No embe 2022. In addi ion, as a pa o he
Global Ga eway A ica-Eu ope In es men Package, Nige ia is wo king wi h he EU o s eng hen i s secu e connec i i y,
digi alize public se ices, suppo en ep eneu ship and digi al skills, and build a people-cen e ed democ a ic
go e nance amewo k o echnological de elopmen . Recen ly, Nige ia signed a mul ila e al Memo andum o
Unde s anding (MoU) wi h he UK o comba he menace o cybe c imes in he wo coun ies in Ap il 2025. The Join
Case Team on Cybe c ime (JCTC) was launched in esponse o he need o a coo dina ed and obus app oach o
igh ing cybe c imes [13].
4.3. Coope a ion wi h he U.S.
The Uni ed S a ed o Ame ica (U.S.) has aken a s ep o bols e cybe secu i y e o s in Nige ia by es ablishing a special
o ice a i s embassy in Abuja in July 2024. This ini ia i e aims o enhance collabo a ion wi h Nige ia’s EFCC in comba ing
cybe c imes. In esponse o he g owing cybe c imes in Nige ia, he U.S. had ea lie announced plans o deploy a
cybe c ime ad iso o Nige ia. The ad iso will acili a e coope a ion be ween he wo na ions by p o iding essen ial
aining, equipmen , and echnical assis ance o enhance Nige ia’s abili y o add ess cybe h ea s such as aud scams
and sex o ion [14]. In addi ion, Ame ican companies such as Mic oso and SpaceX a e also wo king wi h Nige ia on
connec i i y, skills aining, and digi al ans o ma ion.
4.4. Coope a ion wi h China
China and A ica join hands o build a communi y wi h a sha ed u u e in cybe space and enable he Cybe space o
be e bene i A ican people, which is an o ganic pa o join ly building a close China-A ica communi y wi h a sha ed
u u e and an impo an mani es a ion o i s cons uc ion achie emen s. China-A ica coope a ion in cybe space is an
impo an componen o he cons uc ion o he "Digi al Silk Road". As China-A ica coope a ion con inues o de elop
in an all- ound, mul i-le el and high-quali y manne , digi aliza ion, wi h cybe space de elopmen as an impo an
con en , is inc easingly becoming a new highland o China-A ica coope a ion. China is suppo ing A ican coun ies,
including Nige ia, o b idge he digi al di ide.
In Janua y 2021, Nige ian o me p esiden Muhammadu Buha i me wi h Chinese Fo eign Minis e Wang Yi in Abuja.
Du ing hei mee ing, Wang said ha China is willing o sha e digi al economy expe ience and echnology wi h Nige ia
and ca y ou g een economy coope a ion. Mo eo e , China has p oposed he China-A ica Digi al Inno a ion
Pa ne ship P og am, and China-A ica p ac ical coope a ion in he digi al ield. These wo ini ia i es ha e been
moun ing o be e mee he needs o he Chinese and A ican people. Nige ia is le e aging Chinese in es men o
de elop i s in as uc u e and aining o enhance i s digi al domain. Chinese companies, especially Huawei, ha e
launched da a p o ec ion p oduc s and ained a la ge numbe o ICT alen s o Nige ia o p omo e Nige ia's
au onomous and secu e digi al de elopmen . In Ma ch 2025, China and Nige ia ha e ag eed o coope a e oge he o
c ack down on cybe c imes in he Wes A ican coun y, pa icula ly hose ha in ol e Chinese na ionals, which e lec s
China's esponsibili y and commi men as a majo cybe powe . China is eady o send ou a wo king g oup o Nige ia
o wo k wi h Nige ia law en o cemen o ice s, EFCC, o e idence collec ion, aud acing, and b inging c iminals o
jus ice [15].
In a signi ican mo e owa ds deepening bila e al ela ions, Nige ia and China ha e ea i med hei commi men o
s eng hening coope a ion ac oss a ious sec o s including Cybe space and digi al de elopmen a he second edi ion
o Lagos Fo um in Ap il 2025, which is Co-hos ed by he Ins i u e o A ican S udies a Zhejiang No mal
Uni e si y(IASZNU), Nige ian Ins i u e o In e na ional A ai s(NIIA), Chinese Consula e Gene al in Lagos, and he
A ica-China Economy Magazine, and has become a i al pla o m o China-Nige ia dialogue and has played a pi o al
Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 26(02), 935-942
941
ole in os e ing pa ne ship be ween bo h coun ies. “Nige ia and China need o c ea e be e digi al capabili ies o
implemen he swap o he good o Nige ia’s economy, especially i s economy, which is chocking unde he monopoly
o he US dolla ,” as Ikenna Emewu, Edi o -in-Chie o A ica China Economy Magazine said a he Fo um, “We, he e o e,
need a e y e ec i e digi al economy coope a ion and cybe secu i y sys em be ween Nige ia and China o sail h ough
his bad wea he ” [16].
5. Conclusion
F om he discussion abo e, i can be concluded ha cybe c ime is s ill se e e in Nige ia. The s udy ound ha wi h he
apid de elopmen o he digi al e olu ion, some new issues ha e eme ged in he ield o cybe secu i y in Nige ia, such
as AI-Powe ed A acks, C yp ocu ency Scams, Thi d-Pa y Risk, Iden i y The and F aud, Cybe Talen D ain. I also
e ealed ha he Nige ia Go e nmen h ough a se ies o laws and egula ions in he ield o ICT, digi al, and Cybe space,
like Cybe c imes (P ohibi ion, P e en ion, e c) Ac , 2015 and i s amendmen , Na ional Cybe secu i y Policy and S a egy
2021, Na ional Cybe secu i y Policy and S a egy 2021, as a way o ensu ing a sa e and secu e cybe space o Nige ians.
In addi ion, Nige ia is also le e aging in e na ional coope a ion o sol e cybe secu i y issues and p omo e digi al
de elopmen . In pa icula , he join e o s o China and A ica o build a communi y wi h a sha ed u u e in cybe space
b ing b igh p ospec s o Nige ia-China Coope a ion in cybe space.
Compliance wi h e hical s anda ds
Acknowledgmen s
This a icle is sponso ed by he Ins i u e o A ican S udies (College o A ican A ea and Coun y S udies), Zhejiang
No mal Uni e si y 2023 Resea ch P ojec in A ica (P ojec Numbe : FF202304).
Disclosu e o con lic o in e es
No con lic o in e es o be disclosed
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