The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with France-based cybersecurity firm SecDojo to launch a Cybersecurity Academy and upskill local professionals.
The partnership was sealed at the GITEX Africa tech exhibition in Morocco. According to NITDA’s spokesperson, Hadiza Umar, the collaboration aims to improve national security and enhance digital infrastructure by focusing on cybersecurity training and capacity building.
The Cybersecurity Academy will offer advanced training, simulation programs, and tailored curricula. It also plans to support research, encourage knowledge sharing, and facilitate exchange programs to nurture future-ready cybersecurity professionals.
NITDA Director-General, Malam Kashifu Inuwa, emphasized the importance of building local talent to meet global cybersecurity demands. “If we harness our young population well, we can train and connect them with the global value chain to provide cybersecurity services,” he said. He stressed the need to embed digital skills into Nigeria’s formal education system to create long-term impact.
Inuwa highlighted that while NITDA runs skills acceleration programs, the absence of cybersecurity education in schools is a gap the country must urgently address. “To prepare for the future, we must embed these skills into our national education framework,” he added.
SecDojo CEO Younes Benzagmout expressed confidence in the partnership. He noted that SecDojo’s modern training tools and global methodologies would be instrumental in helping Nigeria develop a robust cyber capacity-building strategy. The initiative promises to not only boost Nigeria’s cybersecurity resilience but also empower a new generation of tech professionals equipped to protect digital assets in an increasingly connected world.
