NITDA Urges Nigerians To Strengthen Cybersecurity As AI-Driven Threats Rise
By Stella Enenche, Abuja
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has urged Nigerians to strengthen their online security practices amid growing cyber threats driven by artificial intelligence (AI), deepfakes and other emerging technologies.
The agency made the call as it launched the 2026 National Cybersecurity Awareness Month on Thursday, October 1, with the theme, “Together for a Safer Cyberspace.”in Abuja.
NITDA said the campaign was aimed at promoting collective responsibility for digital security, stressing that protecting Nigeria’s cyberspace should not be left solely to government agencies, IT professionals and security experts.
According to the agency, the increasing reliance on digital technology for commerce, public governance and everyday activities has made cybersecurity a shared responsibility requiring the active participation of individuals, businesses and institutions.
It warned that cyber threats had evolved beyond conventional phishing scams to include AI-driven social engineering, deepfake impersonations, voice cloning and fraudulent QR code attacks, popularly known as quishing.
The agency said the emerging threats required greater public awareness, individual vigilance and proactive security measures to protect personal and organisational digital assets.
“Together for a Safer Cyberspace” is a call for Nigerians to take practical steps towards securing their digital identities, financial information and online activities, the agency said.
As part of the campaign, NITDA advised Nigerians to use strong and unique passwords for their online accounts and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) to prevent unauthorised access.
It also urged individuals and organisations to regularly update their software and devices to address security vulnerabilities, while warning against sharing sensitive financial information, including one-time passwords (OTPs), personal identification numbers (PINs) and online banking credentials.
NITDA further cautioned users against uploading sensitive personal, financial or corporate information to public AI models and unfamiliar online platforms, emphasising the importance of maintaining data privacy as the use of emerging technologies expands.
The agency also advised Nigerians to verify suspicious links, unknown attachments and unsolicited requests for personal information, particularly those involving urgent demands, synthetic audio or manipulated visual content.
It emphasised the need for responsible social media use, warning that excessive disclosure of personal information online could expose individuals to targeted social engineering attacks.
NITDA equally recommended regular offline and cloud-based data backups to enable individuals and organisations to recover important information in the event of ransomware attacks or system disruptions.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the country’s cybersecurity framework through its Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team, CERRT.ng, which provides technical guidance, threat advisories and support for reporting cybersecurity incidents.
It said the initiative was part of broader efforts to equip citizens and organisations with the knowledge, tools and frameworks needed to mitigate digital risks and support the development of a secure and inclusive digital economy.
In a statement signed by NITDA’s Director of Corporate Communications, Mrs Hadiza Umar, the agency encouraged Nigerians to follow the its official social media platform, @NITDANigeria, for cybersecurity updates, awareness tips and threat advisories.
Members of the public can report cybersecurity incidents or seek further information through CERRT.ng at www.cerrt.ng, via email at cerrt@nitda.gov.ng or by calling 0817 877 4580.
