The United Kingdom has reaffirmed its readiness to strengthen cooperation with Nigeria in tackling the growing threat of cybercrime and digital insecurity.
Speaking at the inaugural seminar on Anticipatory, Cyber, and Digital Diplomacy for Strengthening Nigeria’s Foreign Policy in Abuja, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, said the UK was “very pleased” to be one of the sponsors of the event.
He pledged technical support and intelligence sharing under an ongoing security partnership, noting that both countries had already recorded “shared successes” in tackling cyber fraud and crime.
Montgomery explained that the UK–Nigeria partnership, formalised under a Memorandum of Understanding on cybersecurity signed last year, covers five key areas: threat hunting, cyber threat intelligence capability, identification of critical national infrastructure, digital forensics, and national incident response planning.
“These are fundamental to building government cyber capabilities and effective international cyber diplomacy,” he said, warning that new tools such as artificial intelligence risk “turbocharging” cyber threats ranging from disinformation to hate speech.
While stressing that Nigeria would shape its own sovereign decisions in cyberspace, Montgomery said the UK was ready to share lessons from its Foreign Office and from partnerships with research institutions, private sector players and universities to help Nigeria build a resilient digital ecosystem.
In his response, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, welcomed the UK’s collaboration, emphasising that Nigeria must act with urgency to position itself as a “principled, capable and forward-looking actor in the evolving global digital order.”
Tuggar also announced the creation of a Cyber Diplomacy Unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate Nigeria’s international cyber engagements.
He said the unit would work closely with partners such as the UK while also training a new generation of African cyber negotiators and championing ethical digital governance.
“We must lead Africa’s digital future,” Tuggar declared, adding that Nigeria’s cyber diplomacy strategy would emphasise regional collaboration, inclusion of women and youth, and engagement with the private sector and diaspora.
Echoing similar sentiments, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), said the digital era demanded a fundamental transformation in statecraft.
“The 21st century has introduced a paradigm shift in the nature of conflict, communication, and cooperation.
“Traditional diplomatic methods are no longer sufficient,” Fagbemi noted.
He underscored the need for legal and policy frameworks that can manage the impact of technologies like AI, data governance, and cybersecurity.