Nigerian SME’s have witnessed increased cyber attacks in recent times totalling more than 2,000 different sophisticated cyber attacks orchestrated by Internet hackers, fraudsters, cyber criminals and Internet arsonists. These spiralling widespread cyber attacks have been targeted at Nigerian Citizens, Government Institutions, Small and Medium Enterprises SMEs.
Yesterday Monday, The National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Dr Vincent Olatunji, disclosed that Internet hackers Launched more than 2,000 attacks on the commission’s service portal within one week, highlighting the growing cyber threats facing Nigerian Government institutions as Nigeria expands its digitalisation efforts.
Dr Vincent Olatunji disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at a Technical and Organisational Drill on Data Protection Measures for IT Administrators across Ministries, Departments and Agencies organised by the NDPC.
Speaking to reporters, he said the attacks underlined the urgent need for government institutions to strengthen their cyber defences, overhaul outdated infrastructure, and build the human capacity required to protect sensitive information and digital infrastructure.
He said, “Within one week, we experienced more than 2,000 attempts on our service portal. More than 2,000 within one week. You can imagine what that means.”
The NDPC boss explained that cyberattacks could be motivated by different objectives, ranging from attempts to embarrass government institutions to financial extortion and other malicious activities.
Olatunji noted that government organisations had increasingly become targets of cybercriminals as more public services migrate online.
He said, “A lot of government organisations are being targeted recently. But I don’t think there’s anyone with any major impact on the economy or citizens’ data. But we don’t have to wait until they have a certain effect before we take action.”
The commissioner said the Federal Government’s ongoing digital transformation agenda was increasing the need for stronger cybersecurity safeguards across MDAs.
He recalled that Nigeria’s digitalisation journey gathered momentum after the issuance of the National Information Technology Policy in 2001, which paved the way for various digital initiatives and strategic roadmaps across government institutions.
According to him, the government is intensifying efforts to achieve full electronic governance and seamless interaction between citizens, businesses, and public institutions.
“A major announcement was made last week that will get 35 ministries fully digitalised in Nigeria within the next few weeks. Efforts are already ongoing. Some are fully digitalised already, while others are being encouraged to come on board. Over 100 agencies of government are already being involved in this,” he said.
Olatunji explained that many government agencies had already deployed platforms that enable citizens to access services remotely without physically visiting government offices.
He cited the commission’s own digital services, saying applicants seeking licences from the NDPC could complete processes online, including application submission and payments. The NDPC chief, however, warned that greater digital integration also increases exposure to cyber risks.
“The truth is that all these integrations are driven by a lot of technologies developed by private sector organisations. When you move to full integration or when you interact, there is every likelihood that bad actors will target your network,” he said.
To address the challenge, Olatunji called for the development of “cyber warriors” capable of defending government systems and protecting citizens’ data. He explained that the training programme aligned with key pillars of the commission’s roadmap, including human capital development, technology ecosystem growth, and inter-agency collaboration.
The NDPC boss identified different stages of e-governance maturity, ranging from agencies that only provide information on websites to those offering fully transactional, integrated services.
He stressed that data protection measures should not wait until institutions achieve full digital integration. Olatunji reminded participants that government institutions are classified under the law as data controllers because they collect and process information belonging to Nigerians and non-Nigerians.
He urged MDAs to establish the technical and organisational safeguards required under the Nigeria Data Protection Act to secure their databases and digital platforms.
According to him, technology alone cannot guarantee security without skilled personnel to manage and protect systems. The commissioner commended public servants, describing them as among the most capable professionals available to drive government policies and programmes.
Olatunji also disclosed that compliance with data privacy requirements across the public sector had improved significantly in recent years.
“When we started, the level of compliance with data privacy in the public sector in Nigeria was just four per cent. But now we are doing about 20 per cent and even over,” he said.
He added that many MDAs now make budgetary provisions for data privacy and protection activities, including the appointment of data protection officers and deployment of technical safeguards.
The NDPC chief urged participants to share the knowledge acquired during the training with colleagues in their respective organisations and to develop implementation plans to strengthen compliance.
He said the commission had embarked on various induction programmes, certification initiatives, and training courses for data protection officers across MDAs.
According to him, some participants in the commission’s six-week certification programme were already sitting for examinations, while additional support was being provided through the National Privacy Academy.
Olatunji disclosed that participants at the training would receive free vouchers to access the academy’s self-paced learning platform on data privacy and protection. He also revealed plans to extend training to permanent secretaries and other senior government officials to deepen understanding of data protection obligations across the public sector.
The commissioner encouraged participants to embrace emerging opportunities in the data protection sector, noting that certified data protection officers and licensed Data Protection Compliance Organisations could continue to provide compliance services even after retirement from public service.
Increased Cyberattacks In Nigeria Becoming a National worry
Nigeria in recent time has witnessed the highest number of weekly Cyberattacks in Africa. Previously, the country witnessed an average of 1400 weekly Cyberattacks which has now increased to 2000 weekly Cyberattacks by Internet hackers, fraudsters, and cyber criminals.
These Cyberattacks are majorly targeted at Government institutions, agencies, ministries, citizens, Small and Medium Enterprises SMEs. The coming of AI tools today has helped to strengthen and increase Cyberattacks in Nigeria and across the world.
In April, 2026, Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission CAC the sole Government institution mandated with the incorporation and management of Nigerian Businesses suffered a huge Cyberattack attack orchestrated by International Cyberhackers knon as ByteToReach.
This singular attack on the Nigerian Corporate Affairs Commission saw over 25Million highly sensitive business information, records and tax filings stolen away in what is now tagged as the greatest Cyberattack carried out on African soil.
As correctly indicated by Dr Vincent: Government organisations and institutions have increasingly become targets of cybercriminals as more public services migrate online. In his words, “A lot of government organisations are being targeted recently“. This statement echos SeedufyTech’s previous wakeup call for Nigeria as cyber security does not care about ignorance and Losses can top $80 Million in a single hit which will only further add to Nigeria’s financial woes and send Millions of Nigerians into wide scale poverty.
The Pillers Shouldering Increased Cyberattacks in Nigeria
-Corruption
Increased Cyberattacks on Nigerian Organizations in recent times is factored by no spiritual affair. Nigeria’s zeal for corrupt practices is one of the key forces supporting Cyberattacks in the country. This comes as many Cybersecurity offices are corruptly staffed with unqualified Cybersecurity experts. Today, many government officers in charge of securing Nigeria’s corporate data cannot even operate a computer effectively.
This can be referenced in the speech by the NDPC commissioner CEO Dr Vincent Olatunji which says: “Technology alone cannot guarantee security without skilled personnel to manage and protect systems. The commissioner commended public servants, describing them as among the most capable professionals available to drive government policies and programmes”
Without qualified Cybersecurity experts and professionals manning Nigeria’s Cyberspace, the country is destined to see increased Cyberattacks on government institutions and organizations.
-Old / Outdated Cybersecurity Infrastructures and Policy
Nigerian Government organisations have a history of poor maintenance and management. As a result of this, many Cybersecurity Technologies used by Nigerian Government organisations are old, outdated and obsolete. Since Nigeria’s digitalisation journey took off with the issuance of the National Information Technology Policy in 2001 which paved the way for various digital initiatives and strategic roadmaps across government institutions, the country has failed to revise the National Information Technology Policy of 2001 to meet up to current realities. These effectively puts the country on a back foot in terms of Infrastructure and Policy.
