The Financial Institutions Training Centre and the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System reaffirmed their leadership in strengthening cyber resilience, digital trust and governance across Nigeria’s financial ecosystem during the sixth edition of the Annual FITC/NIBSS ThinkNnovation Cybersecurity Conference, held in Lagos.
The conference, themed *‘Securing Tomorrow: Cyber Resilience, Intelligent Defence, and the Architecture of Trust in a Borderless World’*, convened regulators, financial sector executives, technology innovators, academics and cybersecurity professionals from across the globe.
The hybrid event attracted delegates both physically and virtually from multiple continents, reinforcing FITC’s growing global reputation for thought leadership in financial innovation and technology governance.
In her opening address, FITC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Chizor Malize, reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to building institutional capacity and digital resilience across the financial system.
“As technology deepens its footprint across our economy, the integrity of digital ecosystems becomes the bedrock of national trust,” Dr Malize stated. “Our collective task is not only to safeguard systems but to safeguard confidence in the data, in the institutions, and in the future of finance itself.”
She added that FITC, established in 1981 by the Nigerian Bankers’ Committee, has continued to provide training, consulting and research services that strengthen governance and drive innovation across Africa’s financial ecosystem.
Delivering an address on behalf of the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr Thompson Oludare, the Deputy Director, Public Affairs, EFCC, Mr Ayo Oyewole, emphasised the need for stronger inter-agency cooperation and intelligence sharing to combat the rise of cyber-enabled financial crimes.
“Cybercrime has evolved from isolated attacks to coordinated ecosystems,” Oyewole said. “This calls for stronger inter-agency cooperation, proactive intelligence sharing and cross-sector accountability.”
Representing the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NIBSS, Mr Premier Oiwoh, NIBSS Chief Information Security Officer, Olusola Odediran, underscored the organisation’s commitment to advancing a secure digital payments infrastructure.
“Cybersecurity is no longer an auxiliary function; it is the trust infrastructure upon which digital finance is built,” Odediran said.
The first keynote address was delivered by Director, Compliance Department, Central Bank of Nigeria, Olubunmi Ayodele-Oni, on behalf of the Deputy Governor, Financial Systems Stability, CBN, and Chairman, FITC Board of Directors, Philip Ikeazor. She reaffirmed the apex bank’s commitment to embedding resilience and risk-aware innovation within the financial system.
“As the boundaries between financial institutions, fintechs and consumers blur, our focus is on building regulatory frameworks that are agile, risk-based and innovation-friendly,” Ayodele-Oni said. “Cyber resilience must move beyond compliance; it must become culture.”
Chief Visionary Officer of Digital Encode Ltd and Chairman of the ThinkNnovation Conference Advisory Board, Professor Obadare Adewale, delivered the second keynote, highlighting the human dimensions of cybersecurity.
“Technology doesn’t create vulnerability; people do,” Professor Adewale said. “True defence lies in continuous awareness, ethical intelligence and institutional discipline.”
