The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has called for stronger collaboration, proactive risk management and sustained capacity building across government institutions to address cyber attacks targeting Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.
The call was made at the opening of a two-day cybersecurity workshop organised by NITDA in Abuja with the theme “Building Capacity and Enhancing Cyber Resilience for Secure Digital Governance in Nigeria’s Public Sector.”
The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, represented by Assistant Director, Cybersecurity Department, Dr. Ayodele Bakare, warned that the country’s expanding digital economy has also created a broader attack surface for cybercriminals.
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Inuwa said the increasing adoption of digital technologies by government institutions, coupled with Nigeria’s rapidly growing internet population, has made public sector platforms more attractive targets for cyber attacks.
He underscored the importance of collaboration among government institutions, the private sector, academia, civil society and international partners, describing cybersecurity as a shared national responsibility.
He noted that government agencies have recently witnessed a surge in website defacements, hijackings, phishing attacks and data breaches, with sensitive government information reportedly being exfiltrated and advertised for sale on the dark web.
According to him, while Nigeria’s digital transformation continues to accelerate through fintech growth, artificial intelligence adoption and expanded online government services, the country must equally strengthen its cybersecurity architecture to safeguard critical national assets.
“It is a paradox. On one hand, we are improving in terms of digital transformation, while on the other hand, we are increasingly being attacked because our cyber attack surface continues to expand.”
Inuwa stressed that cybersecurity should be viewed as a continuous journey rather than a destination, emphasising the need for regular cyber risk assessments, implementation of preventive, detective and resilience controls, as well as continuous improvements in security practices.
He assured participants that NITDA’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERRT) remains available to support government institutions during cyber incidents but stressed that prevention remains the most effective strategy.
According to him, “the most effective cybersecurity measures include comprehensive risk assessments, strong policies, regular awareness programmes, effective security controls, incident response planning and continuous improvement.”
Also speaking, cybersecurity expert and workshop facilitator, Mr. Hamza Lateef, said the opening session focused on exposing participants to the evolving cyber threat landscape facing Nigeria and practical measures for strengthening institutional resilience.
He explained that while some attacks are financially motivated, others are driven by political interests or digital activism, with foreign actors increasingly participating in attacks against Nigerian government infrastructure.
He noted that as government services become increasingly interconnected through digital transformation initiatives, weaknesses in one institution could expose several others to compromise.
“The goal is to build a secure ecosystem because government organisations are now interconnected. Cybersecurity is everybody’s responsibility. If one organisation fails to protect its systems, it can become a bigger problem for others,” he stated.
