FITC, NIBSS Strengthen Nigeria’s Financial System Through Cyber Resilience and Digital Innovation

The Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC) and the Nigeria Inter Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) have reaffirmed their joint leadership in advancing cyber resilience, digital trust, and governance within Nigeria’s financial ecosystem during the sixth edition of the Annual FITC/NIBSS ThinkNnovation Cybersecurity Conference, held in Lagos.

Themed “Securing Tomorrow Cyber Resilience, Intelligent Defence, and the Architecture of Trust in a Borderless World,” the hybrid conference convened global experts, regulators, financial executives, technology innovators, and cybersecurity professionals from across continents, solidifying FITC’s role as a thought leader in financial innovation and technology governance.

In her keynote address, Dr. Chizor Malize, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of FITC, emphasized the critical link between digital integrity and economic confidence.

“As technology deepens its footprint across our economy, the integrity of digital ecosystems becomes the bedrock of national trust,” she said. “Our shared duty extends beyond protecting systems to safeguarding confidence in data, institutions, and the future of finance itself.”

Representing the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Deputy Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Ayo Oyewole, called for stronger inter agency collaboration and proactive intelligence sharing to curb the growing wave of cyber-enabled financial crimes.

“Cybercrime has evolved from isolated attacks to coordinated ecosystems,” Oyewole noted. “We must strengthen collaboration, intelligence sharing, and accountability across sectors.”

Speaking on behalf of NIBSS Managing Director, Mr. Premier Oiwoh, the organisation’s Chief Information Security Officer, Olusola Odediran, underscored that cybersecurity is no longer a support function but a foundation of digital finance.

“Cybersecurity is the trust infrastructure on which digital payments thrive,” he stated. Delivering an address on behalf of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olubunmi Ayodele-Oni, Director, Compliance Department, reaffirmed the apex bank’s dedication to embedding resilience and risk-aware innovation within the financial system.

“As the boundaries between banks, fintechs, and consumers blur, regulatory frameworks must be agile, risk-based, and innovation-friendly,” she said. “Cyber resilience must evolve beyond compliance—it must become culture.”

Professor Obadare Adewale, Chief Visionary Officer of Digital Encode Ltd and Chairman of the ThinkNnovation Conference Advisory Board, highlighted the human factor in cybersecurity, stressing that technology alone cannot create security.

“Technology doesn’t create vulnerability people do,” he stated. “True defence lies in awareness, ethical intelligence, and institutional discipline.” The conference also featured plenary sessions on identity management, data protection in API-driven systems, and the alignment of compliance, regulation, and security in a boundaryless world.

In one session, Dr. David Isiavwe, Executive Director of Nova Commercial Bank and President of the Information Security Society of Africa Nigeria, described digital identity as “the new currency,” noting that trust must now be validated by data rather than sentiment.

The event drew participation from notable cybersecurity leaders, including Dr. Harrison Nnaji (First Bank of Nigeria), Gbemisola Osunrinde (SmartComply), Dr. Daniel Adaramola (SunTrust Bank), Abumere Igboa (Stanbic IBTC), and Anietie Jude (MTN Communications Plc).

Supported by partners including First Bank of Nigeria Ltd, SHELT Global Ltd, Digital Encode Ltd, Cybervergent, Rand Merchant Bank, and NGX Ltd, the conference reaffirmed industry collaboration as key to national digital safety.

In line with FITC’s commitment to developing future ready talent, student delegates from University of Lagos, Lagos State University, Pan Atlantic University, and Yaba College of Technology actively participated, engaging experts on encryption, open banking, and AI driven regulation. There is hope in these students,” one moderator observed. “The future of cybersecurity in Nigeria is already visible here.”

As the event concluded, stakeholders commended FITC and NIBSS for sustaining an impactful national dialogue on cybersecurity, digital governance, and financial innovation. ThinkNnovation remains a catalyst for collaboration, innovation, and resilience in Africa’s digital future,” said Dr. Malize, closing the conference.