The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SecDojo, a cybersecurity training and upskilling firm, to build Nigeria’s cybersecurity resilience and establish a Cybersecurity Academy.
The agreement was signed by the NITDA’s Director-General, Malam Kashifu Inuwa, and Mr Younes Benzagmout, Chief Executive Officer of SecDojo, at the ongoing GITEX Africa technology exhibition in Marrakech, Morocco, which runs from April 14 to 16.
The Director, Corporate Communications and Media Relations at NITDA, Mrs Hadiza Umar, disclosed the development in a statement issued Tuesday in Abuja.
She stated that the collaboration is part of ongoing efforts to enhance Nigeria’s national security and strengthen the country’s digital infrastructure through strategic cybersecurity capacity-building initiatives.
“This strategic partnership is designed to bolster Nigeria’s cybersecurity landscape through comprehensive capacity-building initiatives,” she said.
Details of the partnership
Umar noted the collaboration aims to set up a Cybersecurity Academy, provide advanced training, and develop customised curricula, while also promoting research, knowledge sharing, and professional exchange programmes.
“The collaboration will focus on the establishment of a Cybersecurity Academy, delivery of advanced training and simulation programmes.
“It will foster development of customised curricula, educational resources, facilitation of research, knowledge sharing and professional exchange programmes,” she added.
Securing Nigeria’s digital future
NITDA’s Director-General, Malam Kashifu Inuwa, described the initiative as a significant step towards securing Nigeria’s digital future, stressing the need to invest in human capital to drive the country’s technological advancement.
“Globally, we have a gap and in Nigeria, we have a young population that, if we harness well, we can train and connect them with the global value chain.
“This will provide cybersecurity services and capture the market,” he said.
He emphasized that building local digital competencies must go beyond short-term programmes and be embedded within Nigeria’s formal education system.
“This goes beyond NITDA, it is a national opportunity that involves the Ministry of Education to institutionalise digital literacy through formal education.
“Currently, what NITDA offers are skills acceleration programmes because these critical digital competencies are not taught in schools.
“To prepare for the future, we must embed these skills into our national education framework,” Inuwa stated.
SecDojo’s commitment
SecDojo CEO, Younes Benzagmout, expressed excitement about the partnership and highlighted the company’s readiness to support Nigeria’s cybersecurity sector through modern training solutions.
He said the collaboration would bring SecDojo’s innovative training platforms and methodologies to support Nigeria’s cybersecurity professionals.
He added that it would also contribute to the development and execution of a comprehensive national cyber capacity-building strategy.
