Three Nigerian government agencies—the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), and the state network infrastructure company Galaxy Backbone—have become supporting partners of the CyFrica 2026 event.
The cybersecurity summit will take place in Lagos on October 8th at the Eco Convention Centre, organized by Tradepass. The event will gather representatives from government, regulators, cybersecurity specialists, technology providers, and corporate decision-makers to discuss cyberattack resilience, data protection, new technologies, and public-private partnerships.
The presence of these three partners unites Nigeria's key technology and data protection regulators with the industry they oversee during a period of growth for both the country's digital economy and its vulnerability to attacks.
It is projected that Nigeria's digital economy will generate $18.3 billion in revenue in 2026, significantly higher than the figure of just under $10 billion in 2021, according to forecasts from the Ministry of Federal Communications and Arthur Stevens Asset Management. Concurrently, the risk is rising: according to Surfshark analysis, 281,500 Nigerian account breaches were identified in the first three months of 2026, placing the country 34th globally for this period.
The summit also attracted commercial participation, where companies such as Anomali, Trinexia, ThreatLocker, Heirs Technologies, and others showcased their products alongside organizations from the cybersecurity, technology, financial services, and enterprise sectors.
Reports and Sessions
The summit's program covers topics including cyberattack resilience, AI-based threats, regulatory compliance, and data protection. These themes will be addressed through keynote speeches, panel discussions, and 'fireside conversation' sessions. Confirmed speakers include Dr. Ayodele Bakare, Assistant Director of Cybersecurity at NITDA; Dr. Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner and CEO of NDPC; Abdul-Hakim Adjijola, Chairman of the African Union Cybersecurity Expert Group; Dr. Muktar Bello, Head of Quality Control and Assurance at the Forensic Science and Crime Laboratory of the Ministry of Economic and Financial Crimes; Folorunso Aliu, Chief Information Officer of Dangote; and Obiora Awogu, Chief Information Security Officer of MTN MoMo Payment Service Bank.
Olatunji emphasized the need to maintain the central role of data protection and security in the country's digitalization process. He stated: 'As Nigeria's digital transformation accelerates, cybersecurity and data protection must remain at the core of innovation and public trust. I look forward to joining my colleagues at CyFrica 2026 to foster meaningful dialogue, strengthen collaboration, and inspire practical solutions for a more secure digital future across Africa.'
Awogu noted a shift in initial industry assumptions. He believes that 'what inspires me about Nigeria's cybersecurity journey is the growing recognition that security is everyone's responsibility. We have moved from asking if cyberattacks will happen to focusing on how quickly we can detect, respond, recover, and continue serving our customers. I believe that if we implement cybersecurity correctly, we can unlock greater financial inclusion, economic growth, and confidence in our digital future.'
CyFrica 2026 Awards
The summit will conclude with the CyFrica 2026 awards ceremony, which recognizes individuals and organizations working in the field of cybersecurity and data protection in Nigeria. Awards will be presented in seven categories, with winners selected by a jury of regulatory and industry figures from across the region. This will be followed by a reception with drinks, allowing delegates to continue networking in a less formal setting.
CyFrica 2026 will take place on October 8th at the Eco Convention Centre in Lagos. Further information can be found at cyfricasummit.com.