The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has cautioned that a cyberattack on a single government institution could compromise several others, stressing the need for a coordinated approach to safeguarding Nigeria’s public digital infrastructure.
The agency’s Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, gave the warning on Tuesday during a two-day cybersecurity workshop for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) held in Abuja. The event, organised by NITDA, focused on the theme: “Securing Government Digital Infrastructure Through Capacity Building.”
Represented by Dr Ayodele Bakare, Assistant Director in NITDA’s Cybersecurity Department, Inuwa explained that government agencies are increasingly interconnected, making vulnerabilities in one institution a potential entry point for attacks on others.
He noted that Nigeria’s ongoing digital transformation has expanded the country’s exposure to cyber threats targeting government platforms.
According to him, cybercriminals have evolved beyond isolated hackers to include organised groups with strong financial backing and, in some cases, political motivations. These actors, he said, are highly coordinated, patient and capable of exploiting the same digital technologies adopted by government institutions.
Inuwa stressed that because cyber threats cut across institutional boundaries, government cybersecurity efforts must be collective rather than fragmented.
He cited the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Cybercrime Assessment, which ranked Nigeria among Africa’s three most targeted countries for cyberattacks due to the rapid growth of its digital economy.
He also referred to the Deloitte Nigeria Cybersecurity Outlook 2026, which estimated that cybercrime caused losses exceeding three billion dollars in the country between 2019 and 2025.
The NITDA boss said the agency, through its Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), remains committed to helping MDAs strengthen their cyber defences through preventive measures and incident response support. However, he maintained that preventing attacks is far more effective than responding after breaches occur.
He identified regular cyber risk assessments, robust security policies, continuous awareness campaigns, capacity development, incident response planning and periodic system improvements as key requirements for effective cybersecurity.
Inuwa also emphasised that technology alone cannot guarantee digital security, noting that government personnel must understand their cybersecurity responsibilities and remain vigilant.
He encouraged participants to treat the workshop as an opportunity to exchange knowledge, review recent cyber incidents and develop practical strategies for improving Nigeria’s cyber resilience instead of viewing it as a routine training programme.
The Director-General further disclosed that attendees would examine and make contributions to NITDA’s draft Regulatory Guidelines for Government Information Security Management ahead of broader stakeholder consultations.
He expressed confidence that Nigeria’s growing digital economy presents opportunities that can be safely harnessed through strong cybersecurity measures.
Cybersecurity expert and workshop facilitator, Hamza Lateef, said the opening session introduced participants to the country’s changing cyber threat environment.
He explained that discussions covered emerging risks such as ransomware attacks, Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups and other cybercriminal networks with different objectives.
Lateef noted that some attacks are carried out by digital activists seeking to protest government policies through disruptions to public digital infrastructure, while recent developments have also revealed attempts by foreign actors to interfere with government portals and other critical online services.
He added that the workshop highlighted the importance of strengthening cybersecurity governance across MDAs by deploying secure systems and assigning clear cybersecurity responsibilities to contractors managing government ICT infrastructure.
Participants at the workshop included officials from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), and other government agencies.