Abolaji Adebayo 
In a stark warning to the nation’s economic and political custodians, the Group Managing Director and Co-Founder of Routelink Group, Femi Adeoti, has declared that cybersecurity must be urgently elevated from a technical concern to a fundamental pillar of Nigeria’s national development and corporate strategy.
Adeoti’s compelling call to action frames digital security not as an optional IT expense but as a non-negotiable imperative for economic stability, business sustainability, and national prosperity, directly linking the threat of cyberattacks to potential disruptions in supply chains, a catastrophic erosion of public trust, and financial losses running into billions of naira.
The executive, who leads one of Nigeria’s top five cybersecurity and digital solutions firms, emphasised that the escalating digital threats facing the country could no longer be relegated to the backrooms of corporate IT departments. He stated: “Cybersecurity is no longer a backroom issue. It must stand as a central pillar of national development, economic stability, and business sustainability.
A single breach could disrupt supply chains, erode trust, and cost billions.” This sentiment underscores a growing recognition that in an increasingly interconnected economy, the vulnerabilities of one critical sector can have a cascading, debilitating effect on the entire national economic fabric.
Adeoti noted that his company, Routelink Enterprise, founded in 2012, had positioned itself at the forefront of the battle to secure Nigeria’s digital frontier. The firm, according to him, delivers comprehensive, end to-end solutions designed to protect vital digital assets, minimise operational risks, and build long-term resilience for a diverse clientele spanning the finance, telecommunications, and government sectors.
Through strategic global alliances with internationally renowned technology providers such as Qualys, Palo Alto Networks, Acunetix, and Check Point, Nigerian enterprises are fortified with world-class protection, meticulously tailored to address the unique challenges and threat landscapes of the local environment. Despite these advanced capabilities, Adeoti pointed to significant systemic challenges that continue to hamper Nigeria’s overall cybersecurity posture.
He identified critical areas of concern, including chronic underfunding of cybersecurity initiatives, a persistent and widening skills gap in the local workforce, and what he described as the inadequate enforcement of existing cybersecurity regulations.
These vulnerabilities, he suggested, create a dangerous gap between the sophistication of potential threats and the nation’s capacity to defend against them. However, within these challenges, Adeoti also pinpointed emerging opportunities for growth and improvement, particularly in the realms of managed security services, identity governance, and government-driven regulatory reforms that could compel a higher standard of digital hygiene across industries.
Articulating a vision for a more secure digital future, Adeoti connected national security directly to national prosperity. He said: “At Routelink Enterprise, we are privileged to partner with the world’s leading cybersecurity OEMs to help Nigerian enterprises build resilience.
A secure Nigeria is a prosperous Nigeria. Cybersecurity is the insurance policy for our digital future and the time to invest is now.” This analogy of cybersecurity as an essential insurance policy serves to reframe the conversation for policymakers and corporate boards, positioning it not as a cost centre but as a critical investment in risk mitigation and future-proofing the economy.
“Looking ahead, Routelink Group has reaffirmed its core mission to champion and drive secure digital transformation across Nigeria and the wider African continent. The company aims to achieve this by synergising its deep homegrown expertise with cuttingedge global technology and internationally accepted best practices. As Nigeria’s digital economy continues its rapid expansion, the imperative for robust cybersecurity frameworks becomes ever more critical.”
