By Fatima Bello
In a bid to enhance digital trust and cybersecurity, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, has stated that the NITDA dedicated to fostering a resilient digital environment where businesses and citizens can operate with confidence.
Inuwa made this statement while hosting a delegation from Beacon Security and Intelligence Ltd, led by Dr. Kabiru Adamu, at NITDA’s headquarters in Abuja.
The DG revealed that the agency is making efforts to strengthen its social media monitoring capabilities through the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) tools. He said, “NITDA currently employs AI to track and analyze online content, particularly to identify the origins of harmful posts and assess their influence.
While emphasising on the importance of automation in handling vast amounts of digital data, he noted that manually analysing online information would be an overwhelming task. “There is a lot of information out there, and manually analyzing it would be an overwhelming task. AI tools helps us streamline the process, allowing us to identify key influencers, trace the origins of posts, and take necessary actions,” Inuwa explained.
While acknowledging the effectiveness of existing tools, NITDA officials admitted their limitations and revealed that the agency is actively exploring additional solutions to enhance its current system.
“No tool is perfect, which is why we are looking for new technologies to augment what we already have. Our goal is to improve efficiency in identifying and addressing harmful content,” Inuwa added.
The DG further noted that this comes amid growing concerns over misinformation, hate speech, and other harmful digital activities. The agency is particularly interested in tools that offer real-time monitoring, advanced data analysis, and streamlined takedown requests to social media platforms.
As digital threats continue to evolve, authorities worldwide are increasingly adopting AI-driven solutions to maintain safer online spaces. Experts suggest that the effectiveness of such measures will depend on continuous advancements in AI technology and closer collaboration with social media service providers, he said.
NITDA’s proactive approach highlights the critical role of AI in modern cybersecurity strategies, ensuring Nigeria remains at the forefront of digital safety and trust, the DG stated.
Dr. Kabiru Adamu of Beacon Security and Intelligence Ltd in his earlier remarks stated that as security threats continue to evolve, Beacon Security and Intelligence Ltd has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening both physical and cyber security by incorporating advanced technology into its processes.
“We are mainly into physical security, but with a component of cybersecurity. Our work involves identifying threat issues, analyzing associated risk factors, and providing mitigation measures to ensure individuals and corporate entities are not adversely affected,” he explained.
With over 13 years of experience in security operations, Beacon Security and Intelligence Ltd has traditionally relied on manual processes to manage its intelligence database. However, with the increasing role of technology in modern security, the company is now looking to integrate AI-driven solutions into its data management and intelligence gathering efforts, he added.
“At the moment, we maintain a security database manually, collecting and categorizing security information before feeding it into our system. With the advent of technology, we believe introducing AI will significantly enhance our efficiency,” Adamu stated.
The visit to NITDA aligns with the agency’s broader vision of leveraging AI for digital security. As Nigeria continues to strengthen its cybersecurity framework, partnerships between public institutions and private security firms could play a crucial role in ensuring a safer digital and physical environment.
He further added that experts suggest that the successful integration of AI into security operations could improve real-time threat detection, enhance risk assessments, and provide faster responses to emerging threats.
