The Nigerian Communications Commission has raised concerns over the growing use of artificial intelligence by cybercriminals, warning that the trend could expose Nigeria’s banking system, telecommunications networks and national security to serious risks.
The warning was delivered by the NCC Executive Vice-Chairman, Dr Aminu Maida, at the second International Cybersecurity Conference in Abuja on Tuesday.
Maida, represented by the commission’s Executive Commissioner for Technical Services, Sunday Oshadami, said criminals were taking advantage of AI technology to develop more complex methods of stealing sensitive information, impersonating individuals and breaking through digital security systems.
“We now face AI-driven phishing tailored to individuals, automated credential attacks, deepfakes designed to bypass multi-factor authentication, and malware that rewrites itself to evade detection.”
He explained that the country’s increasing dependence on telecommunications services meant that cyberattacks on network providers could have far-reaching consequences for other essential sectors.
From electronic banking and business transactions to government services and national defence, Maida noted that several activities depended on secure and reliable telecommunications infrastructure.
“An attack on a telecom provider is an attack on the financial sector, national defence, and civil governance,” he stated.
He warned that the speed at which AI-powered systems operate was giving cybercriminals an advantage, making it increasingly difficult for conventional security measures to detect and stop attacks before damage occurred.
“We are no longer defending against human hackers operating at human speed; we are confronting machine learning systems operating at microsecond computational speed,” Maida said.
To illustrate the growing danger, he referenced reported attacks on refrigeration systems in French supermarkets and a spyware campaign that targeted at least 45 devices belonging to journalists and media workers in the Middle East between 2024 and 2025.
The NCC executive vice-chairman said protecting telecommunications infrastructure had become even more critical following its designation as Critical National Information Infrastructure in Nigeria.
He disclosed that the commission had introduced measures to improve its response to cyber threats, including the establishment of a Computer Security Incident Response Team responsible for monitoring attacks, coordinating intelligence sharing and ensuring proper incident reporting.
The commission has also introduced a Cyber Resilience Framework to establish uniform security requirements for licensed telecommunications operators.
Maida called on telecom companies to strengthen their defences through zero-trust security systems, regular assessments of AI models and networks designed to restore services quickly after cyberattacks.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Kashifu Abdullahi, identified human vulnerability as another major weakness being exploited by cybercriminals.
He said NITDA was working with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the National Assembly to review the Cybercrime Act, alongside efforts to establish a national cybersecurity architecture and strengthen the country’s control over its digital infrastructure.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, who was represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo, also announced plans to introduce legal reforms to tackle emerging cybercrime challenges.
According to him, the proposed changes would improve the handling of electronic evidence and strengthen investigation and prosecution procedures while ensuring that fundamental rights were protected.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, Shuaib Salisu, proposed a national cybersecurity resilience index to evaluate the ability of organisations to prevent, withstand and recover from digital attacks.
Salisu also advocated closer cooperation between government institutions and stronger regional partnerships to address cybersecurity threats that cut across national borders.