A leading cybersecurity expert has issued a stark warning to the Federal Government of Nigeria, urging immediate action to shield the nation's vital systems from potential global cyber-attacks. The call highlights the acute vulnerability of essential services including the national power grid, banking networks, and healthcare facilities.
Critical Infrastructure on the Digital Frontline
Taiwo Akinremi, a technology researcher and CEO of Compsoftnet Technologies, sounded the alarm on 24 December 2025. He stressed that the stability of Nigeria, like many African nations, now depends on a complex yet fragile digital backbone. He defined critical infrastructure as assets whose failure would severely impact national security, the economy, or public health.
"Today's world runs on digital systems that control physical reality," Akinremi stated. He explained that sectors like energy, water, healthcare, defence, transportation, and financial services form the irreplaceable glue of modern society. However, this very dependency has turned them into a new frontline in geopolitical conflicts.
The Domino Effect of Interconnected Systems
The core challenge, according to Akinremi, is not just protecting individual components but managing their deep interconnectedness. A cyberattack on one sector can trigger an instant cascade of failures across others.
He outlined potential consequences, which could range from contaminated water supplies and crippled communication networks to paralysed transportation systems and halted emergency services. This interconnected nature means a single, seemingly minor breach could have a devastating and disproportionate impact nationwide.
A Call for Systemic Thinking and Advanced Defence
Akinremi, whose work focuses on critical infrastructure resilience and governance, argued that conventional security strategies are no longer sufficient. He advocates for a System Thinking approach to understand the non-linear relationships within these complex networks.
He also emphasised the need to move beyond reactive measures. While cybersecurity testbeds are important for training and testing, he questioned their current effectiveness against rapidly evolving, sophisticated global attacks. He called for more research to improve these tools, especially for developing the next generation of professionals skilled in securing both information technology and operational technology systems.
In his recent research on water systems, Akinremi found that defending such geographically dispersed infrastructure absolutely requires a systemic blueprint. "The threat environment is systemic, and therefore, the defence must be systemic," he asserted.
He proposed a framework that uses System Thinking models to map interdependencies, validates defences in specialised testbeds, and scientifically measures resilience maturity. This, he believes, would lead to governance strategies grounded in rigorous analysis.
The researcher's final message was urgent: "Recognising the increasing attack vectors and vulnerabilities of national critical infrastructure requires urgent actions... The time for siloed, reactive security has passed. Now is the time to implement the blueprint for systemic resilience today or face the devastating consequences of complexity exploited."
