Analytical Assessment of Cybersecurity for Agricultural Technology Systems in North West Nigeria

Agricultural technology systems including digital irrigation controls, crop monitoring sensors, and agri-fintech platforms are increasingly deployed in North West Nigeria, yet their cybersecurity dimensions represent a virtually uninvestigated research area. This study analytically assessed the research gap in cybersecurity for agri-tech systems in Kano, Katsina, and Kebbi States, North West Nigeria. A scoping review of nine databases from 2019 to 2024 identified zero publications specifically addressing agricultural technology cybersecurity in Nigerian contexts and only 14 globally addressing agri-tech cybersecurity in low-to-middle income countries. Original primary research comprised structured interviews with 30 agri-tech platform operators, farmers, and agricultural extension officers across the three states, and a technical assessment of 10 digital irrigation control systems. Interview analysis confirmed that 90.0 percent of agri-tech operators had no cybersecurity policy, default credentials were used on all 10 assessed irrigation systems, and awareness of agri-tech specific threats such as GPS spoofing and irrigation system manipulation was absent in all stakeholder groups. The study identifies five research priorities including default credential security for Nigerian agri-IoT and agri-fintech mobile security. A conceptual Agri-Tech Cybersecurity Framework for Nigerian conditions is proposed as an original contribution, and collaboration between NITDA, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, and agricultural technology companies is recommended to develop sector-specific security standards.

Keywords: agricultural technology cybersecurity, agri-tech, North West Nigeria, IoT security, research gap