Cyber Threats and Nigeria’s National Security: Assessing the Role of Regional Cooperation in West Africa

This study evaluates the intersection of cyber threats, national security, and regional collaboration in West Africa, and specifically how the cybersecurity architecture in Nigeria is changing. It discusses the way the growing digitization of the Nigerian economy and government has made the country more susceptible to cybercrime, disinformation, and espionage, as these problems are now considered critical concerns related to national security. The paper is based on the theory of securitization and regional security complex framework to evaluate the policy reactions of Nigeria, institutionalization and the importance of regional collaboration within the framework of ECOWAS and Malabo Convention of the African Union. Based on content analysis of secondary data and policy documents, the study shows the presence of institutional weaknesses, lack of technical capacity, and legal harmonization as the key obstacles to effective cyber governance. Sustainable cyber resilience requires national coordination, capacity building and enhanced regional collaboration. Study findings highlight the fact that the leadership of ECOWAS in Nigeria should transition to policy supremacy to facilitate cooperation so as to establish a collective cyber defense and digital stability in West Africa.

Cybersecurity, National Security, Regional Cooperation, West Africa

1. Abdulmalik, A. (2025). Bridging the cybersecurity gap in Nigerian SMEs: Awareness and protective measures. IJCSMT, 11(5), 93-101. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Adewopo, V. A., Azumah, S. W., Yakubu, M. A., Gyamfi, E. K., Ozer, M., & Elsayed, N. (2025). Comprehensive analytical review of cybercrime and cyber policy in West Africa. Journal of Electrical Systems and Information Technology, 12(1), 20–33. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Adisa, O. T. (2023). The impact of cybercrime and cybersecurity on Nigeria’s economy. In Adisa, O. T. (Ed.), The impact of cybercrime and cybersecurity on national economies (pp. …). Czech University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. African Union. (2014). Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo Convention). Addis Ababa: African Union Commission. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Ameh, M., Kolawole, J. S., Adesuyi, O. O. (2025). United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2349 and 2391 and Counter Terrorism in the Lake Chad Basin and Sahel Region. American Journal of Operations Management and Information Systems, 10(2), 42-54. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajomis.20251002.12 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Aryeetey, E. (2001). Regional Integration in West Africa. OECD Development Centre Working Papers, No. 170. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/751603543122 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Atalor, S., & Fakunle, O. S. (2023). Effects of cybercrime on national development: A literature review. Management Analytics and Social Insights. https://doi.org/10.22105/masi.v2i2.68 masi.reapress.com [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. AU. (2014). African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo Convention). Retrieved from AU documents. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Awhefeada, U. V. & Ogechi, B. (2020). Appraising the laws governing the control of cybercrime in Nigeria. Journal of Law and Criminal Justice, 8(1), 30-49. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Bouke, M. A., Abdullah, A., Alshatebi, S. H., El Atigh, H., & Cengiz, K. (2023). African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection: Challenges and Future Directions. arXiv. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Buzan, B., Wæver, O., & de Wilde, J. (1998). Security: A New Framework of Analysis. Lynne Rienner Publishers. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Carver, J. (2024). Capacity-building assistance and strategic competition in cybersecurity: Addressing capacity gaps in emerging economies. SSRN Electronic Journal. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Clarke, R. A., & Knake, R. K. (2010). Cyber War: The Next Threat to National Security and What to Do About It. Ecco. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Diplo Report. (2022). National cybersecurity and cybercrime policies in Africa: Nigeria’s approach. Diplomacy.edu. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). (2011). Directive C/DIR.1/08/11 on Fighting Cyber Crime within ECOWAS. Abuja: ECOWAS Commission. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). (2025). Fight against Cybercrime in West Africa: ECOWAS and the European Union Provide a Digital Laboratory to The Gambia. Abuja: ECOWAS Directorate of Digital Economy. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. ECOWAS Report . (2025, May 21). ECOWAS convenes high-level briefing on cyber diplomacy to advance regional resilience and digital cooperation. Retrieved from ECOWAS website. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Gaidaev, A. (2020). Securitization Theory or a Well Overlooked Old: On the Philosophical and Theoretical Premises and Origins of the Theory. Vestnik RUDN. International Relations. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Gammadigbe, V. (2021). Trade Integration in West Africa: Does the Quality of Institutions Matter? Journal of African Trade, 8 (1), 65-81. https://doi.org/10.2991/jat.k.211201.001 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Idowu, O. O. & Madaki, M. (2021). Cybercrimes and challenges of cyber-security in Nigeria. ResearchGate. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Ijaiya, T. (2024). Combatting Cybercrime in West Africa: Assessing the Role of ECOWAS as a Capable Guardian. Governance and Society Review, 3(2), 55–70. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Ikuero, F. E. (2022). Preliminary review of cybersecurity coordination in Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Technology, 41(3), 521-526. Nijotech [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Jude, O. (2024). Cybersecurity and Nigeria’s role in combating transnational digital threats. Irish International Journal of Law, Political Sciences and Administration. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17296358 aspjournals.org [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. K. Orji. (2023). Understanding the Crime-grid of the Nigerian Yahoo Boys. National Journal of Cyber Security Law. https://doi.org/10.37591/njcsl.v7i2.1651 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Mohamed, A. Y., & Kamau, S. K. (2023). A Continent-wide Assessment of Cyber Vulnerability Across Africa. arXiv preprint arXiv:2301.03008. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Moses, T. S. (2024). The role of Nigeria in the regional integration process in West Africa (1975-2023): Case study of ECOWAS. International Journal of Science & Technology Research Archive, 7 (2), 001-014. https://doi.org/10.53771/ijstra.2024.7.2.0059 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Nairametrics. (2025, June 27). Cybercrime accounts for more than 30% of all reported crimes in Western and Eastern Africa – INTERPOL. Lagos: Nairametrics Research. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. NCP Report. (2021). National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy (NCPS 2021). Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Nye, J. (2010). Cyber Power. Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Odumesi, J. (2023). National Cyber Threat Forecast 2023. Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria. Retrieved from https://csean.org.ng/technical-reports [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Ogele, E. P. (2025). The Hegemon’s Role: Nigeria’s Foreign Policy and Its Impact on West African Regional Security and Cooperation. International Journal of Pedagogy of Social Studies, 10 (1), 43-56. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Okoru, A. O., & Oluku, O. (2023). Cybercrime, crime security and national development in Nigeria. FUOYE Journal of Criminology and Security Studies. fjcss.fuoye.edu.ng [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. Rasaq, A. O. (2025). Establishing a Nigerian centralized cybersecurity enforcement agency. Cyberspace Studies. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

34. Saidu, I. R., Suleiman, T., & Akpan, U. E. (2021). The challenges of security threat in Nigeria cyberspace. FUDMA Journal of Sciences. https://doi.org/10.33003/fjs-2021-0501-554 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

35. Tella, O. (2022). Cybersecurity and Nigeria’s national security: Challenges and policy options. African Security Review, 31(3), 215–233. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

36. UNESCO. (2025). Advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation: Human-resource capacity gaps in AI, data and cybersecurity. UNESCO. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

37. Yusuf, I. B. (2014). Cyber threats and national security in Nigeria: Challenges and options. NDC E-Journal, 13(2), 131-146. ndcjournal.ndc.gov.bd [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• “Next-Generation Cybersecurity Through Blockchain and AI Synergy: A Paradigm Shift in Intelligent Threat Mitigation and Decentralised Security”
• Forensic Payroll Analytics for IPPIS: A Hybrid Anomaly-Detection Framework to Expose Payroll Fraud, Improve Data Governance, and Protect Employee Rights
• Factors Influencing Data Protection on Global Trade
• Development Of Artificial Intelligence-Based Model for Forensic Analysis of Cross-Platform Deepfakes
• Crimes in the Virtual World: A Bibliometric Analysis