URBANEXPRESSLIVEURBANEXPRESSLIVEURBANEXPRESSLIVE
  • Home
  • Politics
    Politics
    “Followers who tell the truth, and leaders who listen to it, are an unbeatable combination.”— Warren Bennis
    Show More
    Top News
    Ogbomoso: Why Soun’s Feud With  Chief Imam is Threatening Peace-Muslim Community
    September 5, 2024
    How Tambuwal’s Aide Languishes In Custody For Criticizing Sokoto First Lady For Allegedly Spraying Dollars
    September 17, 2024
    Election Updates; How PDP Stands, Win Four Out of Six Announced Results
    September 22, 2024
    Latest News
    Coalition No Threat-Omisore Says Politics Not Mathematics, But Reality
    July 17, 2025
    Tell Nigerians Where You’ve Been In Your Five Days’ Disappearance-ADC To Tinubu
    July 13, 2025
    Oto-Awori LCDA Chairmanship Election: Kazeem Azeez Wins Returned Elected
    July 13, 2025
    Odi-olowo/Ojuwoye LCDA-Jakande Wins, Returns As New LG Chair
    July 13, 2025
  • Entertainment
  • Urban & Rural Lifestyle
  • Column
  • Environment
  • Urban Sports
  • Crime Lence
  • More Links
    • About Us
    • Contact us
    • Advertise
Search
  • Advertise
© 2024 Urbanexpresslive. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Aligning Cybersecurity With Nigeria’s Digital Revolution
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
URBANEXPRESSLIVEURBANEXPRESSLIVE
Font ResizerAa
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Urban & Rural Lifestyle
  • Column
  • Environment
  • Urban Sports
  • Crime Lence
  • More Links
Search
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Urban & Rural Lifestyle
  • Column
  • Environment
  • Urban Sports
  • Crime Lence
  • More Links
    • About Us
    • Contact us
    • Advertise
Follow US
  • Advertise
© 2022 Foxiz News Network. Ruby Design Company. All Rights Reserved.
URBANEXPRESSLIVE > web-Page > Column > Aligning Cybersecurity With Nigeria’s Digital Revolution
Column

Aligning Cybersecurity With Nigeria’s Digital Revolution

urbanexpresslive
Last updated: January 3, 2025 10:35 pm
urbanexpresslive
Share
7 Min Read
SHARE

Adeyemi Adesola

Nigeria’s rapid adoption of technology continues to move her deeper into the digital age is an opportunity that comes with its share of challenges. Many startups and even well-established businesses are utilizing digital tools to expand their operations and reach a wider target market. But this digital revolution has also made Nigeria a prime target for cyber threats, making it necessary that cybersecurity measures match up to this technological transformation. This article highlights ways Nigeria can guard its future in the digital age by addressing digital security challenges and stimulating innovation and growth.

The Growth of Nigeria’s Digital Economy

Nigeria’s Rapid digital economy expansion is being driven by Nigeria’s youthful population, strong internet penetration and rise of innovative tech solutions. Whether it’s the FinTech company that is revolutionizing financial transactions or the e-commerce platforms making shopping easier, technology is changing how the nation does business. The trend to use online platforms, digital payments and remote work solutions is expected to increase in the year 2025. The increased internet usage is expected to attract cybercriminals who aim to exploit Nigerians and their businesses.

Why Cybersecurity Is Important to this advancement

Cybercriminals attack systems to access confidential data, interrupt business operations, or for monetary gains. Such attacks can be very costly, leading to loss of revenue,  tarnishing business image, and even attracting legal repercussions. The FinTech sector is particularly vulnerable to cyber threats as it processes enormous volumes of transactions in billions of Naira daily, this sector and other sectors in Nigeria stand vulnerable to threats such as phishing, ransomware, malware, DDoS attacks, supply chain attacks, and several other data breaches. For businesses, cybersecurity is not a luxury but a necessity. It is crucial in keeping the confidence of stakeholders and customers.

Current Challenges in Cybersecurity

  1. Limited Awareness: Cybersecurity awareness remains low among Nigerians and Nigerian businesses. Many business owners and employees underestimate the risks of cyberattacks, leading to lax security practices such as using weak passwords, neglecting software updates or falling victim to phishing scams. Without an adequate understanding of cyber risks, businesses remain highly vulnerable.
  2. Skills Gap: The increase in digital services has led to a shortage of cybersecurity professionals in the Nigerian economy. It is quite challenging for many businesses to recruit qualified and competent staff. There are also limited resources to train and certify Nigerians as cybersecurity professionals.
  3. Inadequate Infrastructure: Most business organizations still use outdated systems and software that do not possess the modern security features that make it difficult for attackers to penetrate. Also, lack of investments in secured software such as routers firewalls, encryption devices, backup systems, and intrusion detectors puts networks at risk.  
  4. Regulatory Gaps: The introduction of the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) is a laudable step towards improving cybersecurity. Although penalties for failure to implement the provisions of the regulation are not well enforced, most businesses have low awareness of the regulation and their obligations under it. Additionally, the NDPR lacks an effective methodology for tackling the current-day threat agents including ransomware, malware and supply chain attacks leaving gaps in the legal regulation of the industry.
  5. Cost Concerns: The cost of implementing robust cybersecurity is also a real barrier for many SMEs. Advanced security tools can be expensive to invest in and skilled professionals to conduct regular audits are of limited number. As a result, small businesses rely on outdated and cheap security solutions which provide little protection from cyber-attacks.

Strategies to Align Cybersecurity with Digital Growth

To secure her digital future, Nigeria must prioritize cybersecurity alongside technological advancement. Here are some strategies to achieve this:

  1. Increase Cybersecurity Awareness

Education is the key to fighting cyber threats effectively. Businesses, government institutions, and individuals need to understand the risks they are facing and what can be done to prevent security breaches. Regular training sessions, awareness programs on TV, and radio and workshops can help to build a culture of cybersecurity.

  1. Build Cybersecurity Talent

To effectively reduce the cybersecurity skill gap, it is important to focus on the areas of education and training. Nigerian universities, tech hubs and private companies need to partner and offer courses and certification programs that will provide Nigerians with the necessary skills to guard their cyberspace.

  1. Strengthen Regulatory Frameworks

The Nigerian government should step up efforts to improve these existing policies to meet current risks. When it comes to decision-making regarding cybersecurity, clear rules and consistent practices, as well as the existence of valuable rewards for adhering to standards and policies contribute to safe internet practices and stiffer penalties for violations leading to security breaches.

  1. Invest in Modern Security Tools

Nigerian government and businesses should invest in the purchase and development of modern security solutions such as routers, firewalls, data encryption software, and backup solutions. Businesses should also be encouraged to update and patch software regularly since attackers cannot take advantage of known vulnerabilities.

  • Promote Incident Response Planning

Cybersecurity is important and to mitigate the effects of cyberattacks there is a need to make preparations beforehand. Businesses must also come up with business continuity and disaster response strategies for determining how they will recognize, stop or mitigate an attack, and restore operations without major disruptions.

  • Support SMEs

Since SMEs have limited resources, they must find cybersecurity solutions that are efficient, yet inexpensive. The Nigerian government and technology companies can offer research grants to develop software, and capital to the SMEs to safeguard themselves.

As more people in Nigeria are getting connected to the internet, it is important for this population to create a culture of responsible use in cyberspace. The digital revolution has the potential of leading Nigeria towards economic development, enhance the quality of lives and placing Nigeria on the map as one of the greatest innovational hubs.

Adeyemi Adesola; Cybersecurity Analyst Can be Reached Via yemiadesola@gmail.com

You Might Also Like

1960 And 2025: Between Adesina and Onanuga

Fubara’s suspension and the dangers of personalizing political power

Ooni Adeyeye: the all-encompassing monarch

A fresh Dimension on National Award

Between On Air And on The Ground

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
[mc4wp_form]
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Copy Link Print
Share
Previous Article “The Way Forward For Nigeria’s Food Security”
Next Article Open Invite: Obasanjo Slams NNPCL Over Port Harcourt, Warri Refineries, Says Absolute Insult, Disrespect
Leave a comment Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Stay Connected

235.3kFollowersLike
69.1kFollowersFollow
11.6kFollowersPin
56.4kFollowersFollow
136kSubscribersSubscribe
4.4kFollowersFollow
- Advertisement -
Ad imageAd image

Latest News

Transfer: Why Ademola Lookman Agrees To Deal With Inter Milan
Urban Sports July 18, 2025
Transfer: How Imran Completes Move To Czech Republic Club SK Prostejov
Urban Sports July 18, 2025
Transfer: Osimhen’s Agreement Plan Gets Sluggish As Napoli Sends Counter-Proposal To Galatasaray  
Urban Sports July 17, 2025
Gov. Aiyetadiwa: Driving Ondo’s industrialisation vision with passion
Column July 17, 2025
Executive Master of Transport Management
//

UrbanExpressNews is Nigeria Most Reliable Online News, With Quality Pedigree of Writers made available on the online space.

Download Our App

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

info@urbanexpresslive.com

 

Follow US
© 2024 Urbanexpresslive. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account