2026 ITGOV Summit: FG Urges Investment in Cybersecurity, Digital Infrastructure

The Federal Government has called for sustained investment in cybersecurity and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), saying both are critical to protecting the country against cybercrime, identity theft, financial fraud and other emerging digital threats.

The call was made at the 2026 ITGOV Summit in Abuja, where government officials and technology stakeholders stressed the need for stronger collaboration to build a secure and trusted digital ecosystem capable of supporting economic growth, national security and efficient public service delivery.

The summit, organised by Tranter IT in partnership with ManageEngine, was themed “Building Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure for Economic Growth, Security and Government Efficiency.”

Delivering the keynote address, Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Dr Abisoye Coker-Odusote, said a trusted Digital Public Infrastructure anchored on a secure digital identity system was essential for effective governance and the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy.

She warned that countries without robust digital infrastructure would continue to struggle with service delivery while exposing businesses, financial institutions and citizens to greater security and operational risks.

“Without a proper Digital Public Infrastructure, governments will continue to struggle to deliver services effectively, financial institutions will face heightened risks, businesses will suffer unnecessary costs and marginalised communities may be excluded from the global economy,” she said.

Coker-Odusote noted that the recently enacted NIMC Act 2026 had expanded the commission’s responsibilities by providing the legal and institutional framework for secure authentication, electronic signatures and digital trust services across both the public and private sectors.

She said Nigeria required an interoperable and inclusive digital identity ecosystem that guarantees seamless access to services while safeguarding citizens’ privacy and personal data.

According to her, a trusted digital identity system would improve transparency by ensuring government services and social intervention programmes reached the intended beneficiaries, while also strengthening the fight against identity theft, cybercrime, financial fraud and terrorism financing.

“It strengthens law enforcement through more precise investigations while safeguarding citizens’ privacy, supports intelligence gathering and improves national resilience against emerging digital threats,” she said.

While acknowledging the progress made so far, the NIMC boss stressed that building resilient digital infrastructure could not be achieved by government alone.

“It requires collaboration among ministries, departments and agencies, financial institutions, telecommunications operators, development partners, academia, civil society and the private sector. It also requires sustained investment in cybersecurity, digital literacy and institutional capacity,” she said.

Earlier, Executive Chairman of Tranter IT, Dr Emmanuel Olarewaju, said the summit was convened to explore practical solutions in identity management, cybersecurity, IT governance, network administration and customer service.

He said digitising government services would significantly reduce processing time, eliminate unnecessary visits to public offices and improve access to essential public services.

“When solutions are properly implemented, service delivery becomes faster. Citizens do not have to queue at different government offices but can simply access services online,” Olarewaju said.

He added that the rapid adoption of digital platforms made stronger cybersecurity systems and effective data management indispensable for protecting citizens’ information and ensuring compliance with privacy regulations.

Also speaking, Associate Director of ManageEngine, Solomon Raj, described Nigeria as one of Africa’s leading technology markets and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting the implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (2020–2030).

Raj said the company would continue to provide solutions that strengthen cybersecurity, improve IT management and promote seamless collaboration across government institutions.

The summit attracted policymakers, technology experts, representatives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), development partners and private sector stakeholders to discuss strategies for strengthening Nigeria’s digital infrastructure and accelerating digital transformation.