The Federal Government (FG) has commenced work on a proposed executive bill to strengthen Nigeria’s cybercrime laws amid growing concerns over artificial intelligence-driven fraud, data breaches and attacks on critical national infrastructure.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, disclosed this on Tuesday at the second International Cybersecurity Conference 2026 in Abuja.
Fagbemi, whose message was delivered by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, said the proposed legislation would strengthen the country’s legal framework for responding to emerging cyber threats.
He noted that rapid technological advancements had made cybercrime a growing threat to financial systems, national security, personal dignity and public trust.
According to him, the government’s proposed reforms would support the preservation and exchange of electronic evidence, improve cybercrime investigations and prosecutions, and ensure that security measures respect human rights and the rule of law.
“Our objective is clear, we support laws that respond to emerging technologies, facilitate the preservation and exchange of electronic evidence, support effective investigation and prosecution, and uphold human rights and the rule of law,” he said.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, said cybercriminals were increasingly exploiting human vulnerabilities, making it necessary for organisations to strengthen both technological defences and public awareness.
Inuwa disclosed that NITDA was collaborating with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the National Assembly to review the Cybercrimes Act and improve Nigeria’s cybersecurity policy framework.
He distinguished cybersecurity, which focuses on preventing attacks, from cyber resilience, which involves an organisation’s ability to recover after an attack.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, Senator Shuiabu Salisu, called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, security institutions and other stakeholders to address threats to the country’s digital ecosystem.
Salisu proposed a stakeholders’ retreat to develop coordinated strategies and called for a national cyber resilience index to assess organisations’ preparedness against cyberattacks.
The National Commissioner of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Dr Vincent Olatunji, also warned about the growing risks associated with AI-enabled data breaches, stressing the need to incorporate privacy and security safeguards into the design and deployment of artificial intelligence systems.
Olatunji said organisations, developers, regulators and citizens all had roles to play in protecting personal information and building trust in AI technologies.
The conference, themed “Cyber Resilience in the Age of AI: Defending Minds, Networks and Nations,” attracted more than 700 participants from about 200 organisations, including government institutions, academia, industry and policymakers.
