The British Deputy High Commissioner in Abuja, Gill Lever, has praised Nigeria’s growing leadership in cybersecurity following the successful completion of the TAG–Africa Cyber Programme Phase 2 training series by the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Mrs Lever described the collaboration between the United Kingdom and Nigeria as a reflection of strong bilateral trust and strategic alignment. She said the partnership continues to demonstrate the depth of cooperation between both countries and expressed optimism about further strengthening ties during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s upcoming State Visit to the United Kingdom.

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Nigeria was recognised as the top-performing country among all partner nations participating in the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Africa Cyber Programme. The achievement was credited to the leadership of the NCCC and its implementing partner, TAG International.

The programme recorded several notable milestones. NCCC experts completed the Certified Threat Intelligence Manager course, strengthening the country’s capacity in advanced cyber threat analysis. Four NCCC professionals also became among the first SIM3-certified cybersecurity auditors in Africa, marking a significant step in institutional cyber maturity assessment.

Additional outcomes included the development of standards and cyber maturity frameworks aimed at protecting critical national information infrastructure, as well as a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s National Incident Response Plan. The programme also laid foundational work to support the country’s National Digital Forensics Policies and Operational Frameworks.

Salawu Sheriff, Technical Assistant to the National Coordinator of the NCCC, said the milestones achieved under the programme would have lasting impact.

“These milestones strengthen not only Nigeria’s cyber readiness but also the wider regional and global digital ecosystem,” he said, adding that the progress reaffirms the United Kingdom’s commitment to deepening cooperation as both countries prepare for the renewal of the UK–Nigeria Cyber Memorandum of Understanding.

The successful completion of Phase 2 underscores Nigeria’s ambition to position itself as a regional leader in cybersecurity governance, resilience, and institutional capability at a time when digital threats continue to evolve across Africa and beyond.