Professor Ojo Emmanuel Ademola Calls for Comprehensive Overhaul of Nigeria’s Security Architecture

Published By Jerry Adesewo On Mar 24, 2026

Professor Ojo Emmanuel Ademola Calls for Comprehensive Overhaul of Nigeria’s Security Architecture

By Jerry Adesewo

As he reflects on Outcomes of the Professor Ademola Ojo Emmanuel Foundation (PAOEF) Summit, Professor Ojo Emmanuel Ademola, Africa’s first Professor of Cybersecurity and Information Technology Management, has renewed his call for far‑reaching reforms to Nigeria’s national security architecture. His remarks follow his reflections on the outcomes and resolutions adopted at the PAOEF Summit held on 3rd February 2026 in Abuja, a significant gathering of policymakers, technology experts, educators, youth leaders, and private‑sector actors committed to redefining Nigeria’s digital future.

The Summit also featured the presentation of the book Leading the Digital Future and intensive discussions on strengthening Nigeria’s digital ecosystem to ensure sustainable national development.
Professor Ademola observed that the Summit underscored a central truth: Nigeria cannot achieve economic resilience or digital competitiveness without first building a secure and stable national foundation. He emphasised that the country stands at a decisive moment where decades‑old security structures must evolve to confront the realities of a digital age defined by insurgency, terrorism, cybercrime, data breaches, and infrastructural sabotage.
Nigeria continues to grapple with escalating security challenges, including insurgency in the North‑East, expanding kidnapping networks, and persistent communal conflicts. These threats, combined with the rapid rise in cyberattacks, have placed enormous pressure on national stability, investor confidence, and digital adoption. Recent assessments show how insurgency disrupts socio‑economic activity while cyber incidents impose substantial financial losses on both public and private institutions.

Reflecting on these realities at the Summit, Professor Ademola stressed that Nigeria must urgently modernise its security infrastructure. He referenced incidents such as attack on a military base in Borno, noting that such events expose the limitations of conventional defence strategies and highlight the necessity for integrated, technologically advanced security responses.

He further warned that the fast‑paced digitalisation of Nigeria’s financial, commercial, and civic systems has expanded the attack surface for cybercriminals, who now exploit mobile transactions, digital marketplaces, and fintech platforms with increasing sophistication. His cybersecurity outlook highlights the growing use of artificial intelligence by cybercriminals to automate attacks, making them more pervasive, harder to detect, and significantly more damaging.

During the Summit, Professor Ademola re‑emphasised that data has become a core national infrastructure, and its protection is now essential not only for national defence but for economic survival. He stressed the need for Nigeria to move from digital consumption to digital innovation, underpinned by strong education systems, talent development, and ethical leadership.

Key Recommendations Emphasised at the PAOEF Summit and Reaffirmed by Professor Ademola:

1. A Fully Integrated National Security System
Nigeria must replace fragmented security operations with a coordinated national framework capable of real‑time intelligence sharing, unified response mechanisms, and multisector collaboration.

2. Technology‑Driven Security Reform
The country must adopt AI‑enabled surveillance tools, drone‑supported reconnaissance, digital forensics capabilities, and modern cyber‑defence platforms to strengthen border security, policing, and counter‑terrorism operations.

3. A Holistic Cybersecurity Framework
This includes modernised legislation, nationwide cyber‑awareness initiatives, cybersecurity education embedded within school curricula, mandatory infrastructure risk assessments, and enhanced international partnerships. Only a multi‑layered framework can provide adequate protection for Nigeria’s digital future.

4. Investment in Talent and Education
As reiterated at the Summit, education remains the seed of national destiny. Nigeria must cultivate a digitally competent workforce, equip young people with the skills required for the future of work, and develop a strong pipeline of cybersecurity professionals.

5. Addressing Socio‑Economic Inequities
Professor Ademola emphasised that insecurity thrives where unemployment, poverty, and weak governance persist. Sustainable national security therefore requires increased economic inclusion and strengthened governance.

A National Call to Action:
Establishment of a Nigeria National Cyber Security Council

As part of his national call to action, Professor Ademola urged the immediate creation of a Nigeria National Cyber Security Council—a central coordinating body with the mandate to harmonise cybersecurity efforts across government agencies, the private sector, and civil society.

He noted that such a council would provide strategic direction, unify national responses to cyber threats, support cross‑agency intelligence sharing, and ensure Nigeria keeps pace with global cybersecurity best practice. He emphasised that without such a body, Nigeria risks fragmented efforts, duplicated resources, and weakened national resilience.

Conclusion

Reflecting on the productive deliberations and commitments made at the PAOEF Summit on 3rd February 2026, Professor Ademola reaffirmed that the “Abuja Compact”—a seven‑pillar digital transformation framework unveiled at the event—offers a clear and actionable path for national progress. The pillars include trusted digital identity systems, affordable broadband, AI‑enabled public service delivery, cybersecurity as national defence, innovation and start‑up empowerment, human capital development, and ethics‑driven governance.

He concluded by noting that Nigeria’s progress in the digital age is inseparable from its ability to secure itself, stating that development without security is illusory, and security without digital modernisation is untenable.

“Security is the foundation of economic growth and digital progress. To secure our future, we must strengthen our nation today.”

About Professor Ojo Emmanuel Ademola

Professor Ademola is Africa’s first Professor of Cybersecurity and Information Technology Management, a respected global advocate for digital transformation, and the Convener of the PAOEF Summit. He is widely recognised for his leadership in cybersecurity, innovation policy, governance, and national development.

Media Contact
Office of Professor Ojo Emmanuel Ademola
Digital Gethsemane Global Secretariat
Email: Ojo.Ademola@profademola.com
Phone: +44 (0)7958 139 157