Foreign affairs minister Yusuf Tuggar and AGF Lateef Fagbemi have reiterated their commitment to positioning Nigeria as a principled, capable, and forward-looking actor in the evolving global digital diplomacy.

The ministers disclosed this during the inauguration of the two-day high-level seminar titled ‘Anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy’ organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday in Abuja.

The seminar, which takes place from September 2 to 3, is an initiative designed to strengthen Nigeria’s foreign policy architecture and equip diplomats with the necessary tools to confront the challenges of the emerging digital age.

Mr Tuggar said, “We are living through a historic transformation, a convergence of disruptive technologies, shifting geopolitical alignments, and deepening digital interdependence is redefining the foundations of diplomacy.

“From artificial intelligence and quantum computing, to the geopolitics of data and militarisation of cyberspace, the very nature of statecraft is being rewritten right before our eyes. Nigeria must not be a mere bystander. We must act with purpose to position ourselves as a principled, capable, and forward-looking actor in the evolving global digital order.”

The minister explained that such a requirement necessitates embedding anticipatory cyber and digital diplomacy into the core of Nigeria’s foreign service, national security architecture, and our multilateral engagements, to bolster the ability to detect early warning signals.

Additionally, to anticipate systemic shocks and plan strategically for the future, whether in the global race for critical minerals, the regulation of artificial intelligence, or the restructuring of global supply chains.

He stressed the need for diplomats to be trained in cyber diplomacy before they are deployed, saying the Nigerian diaspora, though rich in expertise and global networks, should be integrated into cyber and digital diplomacy strategies.

Mr. Fagbemi stated that stakeholders would implement punitive measures through a legal framework to combat cybercrime, aiming to prevent future occurrences. According to him, such a proposal is not made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but rather it is designed as part of the initiatives to strengthen Nigeria’s foreign policy and balance the interplay between digital sovereignty and interdependence.

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, disclosed that the United Kingdom’s cyber diplomacy with Nigeria is framed with an enlarged or wider Security and Defence Partnership.

He mentioned that both the UK and Nigeria had signed a new memorandum of understanding on cybersecurity, which has enabled a significant uptick in collaboration between the two countries.

(NAN)