POLITICAL POLITICS

NITDA Raises Concern Over AI Threats To 2027 Elections

by admin on | 2026-10-22 13:52:32

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NITDA Raises Concern Over AI Threats To 2027 Elections

By Maryam Muhammad 

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has warned that artificial intelligence (AI)-powered misinformation, deepfake videos and sophisticated cyberattacks could threaten public trust and influence Nigerians ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, raised the concern on Wednesday during a press briefing at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja, where he announced preparations for the International Cybersecurity Conference 2026.

Abdullahi said the growing use of AI to generate convincing but misleading political messages posed a significant challenge to information integrity and national cybersecurity.

He noted that cybercriminals were increasingly exploiting human vulnerabilities through social engineering rather than targeting computer systems alone.

“As a hacker, it’s easier for me to hack humans than to hack systems,” he said, highlighting the risks of manipulating people through deceptive digital content.

The NITDA chief warned that AI tools could be used to produce fabricated audio, videos and political messages capable of influencing public perception and decisions.

He urged Nigerians to verify information before believing or sharing it online, particularly during the election period, when coordinated misinformation campaigns could become more prevalent.

“People need to be mindful of what they see, what they believe, and what they share online,” Abdullahi said.

Beyond election-related misinformation, he cautioned that the growing adoption of AI-powered agents in organisations was creating new cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

He explained that criminals could hijack AI agents used to automate business operations, potentially gaining control over processes previously managed by human employees.

Abdullahi also stressed the importance of digital literacy and human oversight, claiming that more than 95 per cent of cyber breaches resulted from human error.

He said although AI could improve the detection and prevention of cyber threats, it could equally enable more sophisticated scams and automated attacks.

The warning comes as Nigeria prepares to host the International Cybersecurity Conference 2026, themed “Cyber Resilience in the Age of AI: Defending Minds, Networks and Nations.”

According to Abdullahi, the conference was upgraded from a national event to an international gathering following growing interest from participants across Africa and other parts of the world.

The event will examine emerging cybersecurity challenges, including deepfakes, cognitive manipulation, cybercrime and attacks on critical digital infrastructure.

It is expected to feature 13 keynote addresses, 16 panel discussions, cybersecurity awards and a hackathon projected to attract about 1,946 participants from secondary schools, tertiary institutions, professional bodies and government agencies.

The conference is being organised in partnership with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Nigerian Communications Commission, with QNA Dubai serving as technical partner.

Abdullahi said the gathering would promote international cooperation, strengthen local cybersecurity expertise and improve Nigeria’s capacity to anticipate, detect and respond to emerging digital threats.

He added that cybersecurity was essential to the country’s digital economy, warning that inadequate protection against online fraud could undermine public confidence in electronic transactions and discourage the adoption of e-commerce.

The NITDA DG called on public and private organisations to invest in cybersecurity, improve incident preparedness and integrate security measures into digital infrastructure from the outset.