The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reaffirmed its leadership role in Nigeria’s cybersecurity ecosystem as it commenced engagement with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on the development of an aviation-specific cybersecurity policy and regulatory framework
The move followed a courtesy visit by the management of the NCAA to NITDA, where both agencies explored areas of collaboration aimed at securing the civil aviation sector’s growing digital infrastructure in line with national cybersecurity objectives and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.
Speaking during the meeting, the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, represented by the Director of Cybersecurity, Dr. Muhammad Lawal, said cybersecurity remains a critical enabler of Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda, particularly in safety-sensitive sectors such as aviation.
Lawal stressed that cyber threats pose a significant risk capable of disrupting operations and undermining efficiency if not proactively addressed, noting that effective cybersecurity must be embedded within sector-wide digital transformation strategies.
“Cybersecurity is not something to approach in isolation. It is closely tied to digital transformation, and the absence of proper cybersecurity measures can halt progress toward achieving operational goals,” he said.
According to him, NITDA advised that before developing a standalone aviation cybersecurity framework, a comprehensive digital transformation gap assessment should be conducted across the aviation industry to determine maturity levels and guide the design of appropriate safeguards.
He explained that NITDA would ensure that any aviation cybersecurity framework aligns with existing national laws, policies and strategies, including the Cybercrimes Act, while also harmonising with ICAO requirements to produce a framework that is both globally compliant and locally relevant.
Lawal further disclosed that NITDA, as the government-designated national Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT), is positioned to provide operational support to the aviation sector, including the establishment of a Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) dedicated to managing cyber incidents within civil aviation.
He added that capacity building would remain a core area of collaboration, noting that NITDA already runs specialised cybersecurity programmes for critical sectors and would work with NCAA to strengthen institutional capacity across the aviation value chain.
Earlier, the Director of Aviation Safety at NCAA, Dr. B.O.C. Omogo, said the authority approached NITDA following recent ICAO security audits, which highlighted the need to strengthen cybersecurity oversight within Nigeria’s aviation sector.
Omogo said the engagement with NITDA would help integrate national cybersecurity requirements into the ongoing review of NCAA’s aviation security programmes, while benefiting from NITDA’s technical expertise and regulatory mandate.
Both agencies agreed on the need to establish a joint working group to drive inter-agency cooperation, enhance cybersecurity oversight mechanisms and ensure coordinated emergency response to cyber incidents affecting civil aviation.
The collaboration, NITDA noted, is expected to reinforce Nigeria’s aviation safety architecture, protect critical digital systems and support the sector’s continued adoption of digital technologies.
