The Deputy Director and Head of the Cybercrime Unit at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Nigeria, Jamila Ade, has called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, technology companies, financial institutions and citizens to tackle cybercrime and secure the country’s digital space. Ade said cybercrime often cuts across institutional and national…...
The Deputy Director and Head of the Cybercrime Unit at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Nigeria, Jamila Ade, has called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, technology companies, financial institutions and citizens to tackle cybercrime and secure the country’s digital space.
Ade said cybercrime often cuts across institutional and national boundaries, making a coordinated response involving government and society necessary to address the growing threat.
Speaking ahead of activities marking the 2026 Cybercrime Awareness Campaign, themed “Securing Nigeria’s Digital Future: A Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society Response to Cybercrime,” she said a single fraud case could involve victims, banks, telecommunications operators, social media platforms, law enforcement agencies and regulators.
“The theme reflects what we see in practice: the response must involve the whole of government and the whole of society,” she said.
Ade explained that the awareness walk and fiesta at Eagle Square were designed to take the campaign beyond conference halls and educate ordinary Nigerians on how to identify scams, protect themselves and report cybercrime incidents.
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She added that the national consultations would bring together government, industry, civil society and academia to assess the country’s legal and institutional framework for combating cybercrime and develop practical recommendations for improvement.
Assessing Nigeria’s progress in tackling cybercrime, Ade said the country had made progress through international partnerships, negotiations on international legal frameworks, including the new United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, and inter-agency collaboration.
However, she identified uneven public awareness, low victim reporting, delays in obtaining electronic evidence from foreign service providers and a shortage of specialised skills as some of the challenges requiring attention.
“Closing these gaps requires sustained investment and stronger collaboration across sectors,” she said.
On the capacity of Nigerian institutions to tackle emerging cyber threats, Ade said investigators and prosecutors were increasingly receiving training in digital forensics, electronic evidence and cryptocurrency tracing.
She also noted that Nigeria had strengthened international networks for the preservation of digital evidence and requests for assistance.
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However, she warned that emerging threats, including artificial intelligence-enabled impersonation, deepfakes, social engineering and fraud involving digital payment platforms, continued to evolve.
“I would not say we are fully prepared, and no country can honestly say that,” she said.
Ade added that Nigeria was building the foundations needed to respond to these threats through continuous capacity building, stronger partnerships with industry and a legal framework that could be reviewed and improved to address technological developments.
On the national consultations, she said stakeholders would examine whether existing laws adequately covered emerging offences and technologies, including AI-enabled crimes.
Other areas expected to receive attention include electronic evidence, cross-border cooperation, the obligations of service providers, victim protection and redress, and the alignment of domestic laws with relevant international instruments.
According to Ade, the outcomes of the consultations would be compiled into a report and presented to relevant authorities, including the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, for consideration.
She said recommendations involving institutional practices, training, protocols and coordination could be implemented more quickly, while proposals requiring legislative amendments would follow the appropriate legislative process.
Ade also stressed the need for sustained public education and stronger engagement with technology companies, financial institutions and telecommunications operators to improve cybercrime prevention, early detection and responses to incidents.
Urging Nigerians to take personal responsibility for their digital security, she advised citizens to verify information before trusting it, avoid sharing one-time passwords (OTPs) and personal identification numbers (PINs), use strong and unique passwords, enable two-factor authentication and report incidents promptly.
“Cybercrime thrives where people stay silent. Securing our digital future is a shared responsibility, and everyone has a part to play,” she said.