NCC, risk managers advocate overhaul of national security system

By Joy Yesufu

The Nigerian Communications Commission and enterprise risk management professionals have called for a shift in the country’s security governance framework, urging a coordinated approach to addressing rising physical, cyber, and operational risks.
The call came during Nigeria’s inaugural Enterprise Security Risk Management Conference, held at James Hope University in Lekki, Lagos, which brought together policymakers, regulators, security agencies, academics, and private sector leaders under the theme “Repositioning Enterprise Security Risk Management in Evolving Global Threat Landscape: A Multi-Stakeholder Imperative.”
In a statement issued on Wednesday following a conference, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Enterprise Risk Management Professionals, Dr Olayinka Odutola, said stakeholders agreed that fragmented and reactive security models were no longer sufficient to address the scale and complexity of emerging threats across sectors.
In a keynote address, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, revealed that Nigeria now has more than 185 million active mobile connections and over 153 million internet subscriptions, but continues to face more than 4,000 cyberattacks weekly.
He also raised concern over infrastructure vulnerabilities, including over 27,000 fibre cuts recorded in 2025, as well as data sovereignty risks, noting that nearly 90 per cent of Nigerian data is hosted outside Africa.
Maida said addressing these challenges requires a shared responsibility model involving regulators, operators, security agencies, academia, and the private sector.
“Building a secure and resilient digital ecosystem requires a shared responsibility model involving regulators, operators, government institutions, private sector organisations and academia,” he said.
He outlined ongoing regulatory responses, including the Telecom Identity Risk Management System, a cyber resilience framework for the communications sector; enhanced corporate governance requirements; and the enforcement of critical national information infrastructure protections.
Delivering the opening address, the Chairman of the Occasion and Chief Executive Officer of Advantec Marine Service, Rear Admiral Kenneth Ati-John, said security risk can no longer be viewed solely through the lens of traditional security agencies.
He noted that contemporary threats including terrorism, cybercrime, kidnapping, disinformation, supply chain disruption, climate-related risks, and institutional trust deficits are increasingly interconnected and capable of cascading across sectors and institutions.
The expert called for a shift from reaction to anticipation, from siloed responses to systems thinking, and from compliance-based approaches to a culture of risk awareness embedded across organisations and society.
The conference also featured a keynote address delivered on behalf of the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Navy, Senator Otunba Daniel, by his Chief of Staff, Dr Babatunde Onadeko.
The presentation highlighted the growing complexity of systemic risk in an interconnected world where cyber incidents, operational disruptions, governance failures, and geopolitical events increasingly overlap. It stressed that security is no longer merely a technical concern but an economic, institutional, and strategic imperative requiring direct board oversight and executive accountability.
Participants were urged to institutionalise intelligence sharing, conduct joint preparedness exercises, and adopt risk-based prioritisation frameworks that focus resources on the most critical vulnerabilities.
In a goodwill message delivered on behalf of the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, the Lagos State Government reaffirmed its commitment to building a resilient, technology-driven, and investment-friendly environment capable of supporting sustainable economic growth.
The message emphasised that modern threats have become fluid, borderless, and highly unpredictable, requiring innovative approaches that integrate physical, cyber, economic, and social dimensions of security.
The Controller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Nwakuche, represented by the Controller of the Lagos State Correctional Command, Mr George Daramola, highlighted the role of intelligence-led collaboration and institutional resilience in addressing emerging threats such as violent extremism, organised crime, cyber-enabled offences and custodial security challenges.
The conference also featured remarks delivered on behalf of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mr Bashir Adeniyi, by the Acting Customs Area Controller, Kirikiri Lighter Terminal Command, Deputy Comptroller Bolaji Adigun.