NITDA Urges MDAs to Strengthen Cyber Defences Against Growing Threats
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NITDA Urges MDAs to Strengthen Cyber Defences Against Growing Threats
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA has called on Ministries, Departments and Agencies, NDAs to strengthen collaboration in protecting government digital infrastructure from the growing threat of cyberattacks, warning that vulnerabilities in one institution could expose others to security breaches.
The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, made the call at the opening of a two-day Cybersecurity Workshop for MDAs in Abuja, themed “Securing Government Digital Infrastructure through Capacity Building.”
He was represented by the agency’s Assistant Director in the Cybersecurity Department, Dr Ayodele Bakare.
Inuwa said the workshop was taking place at a critical time when cyberattacks targeting government digital platforms had become increasingly frequent, sophisticated and disruptive.
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According to him, incidents such as website defacement, ransomware attacks, data breaches and the abuse of personal information now pose significant risks to governance, public confidence and national development.
He noted that government digital platforms, which provide essential services to millions of Nigerians daily, had become prime targets for cybercriminals.
“We have watched websites of government organisations defaced, hijacked and quietly redirected to gambling sites. We have seen coordinated ransomware attacks force government web portals to shut down and witnessed repeated attacks on government databases leading to data exfiltration and abuse of personal data,” he said.
The NITDA boss cited the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Cybercrime Assessment for Nigeria, which identified the country as one of Africa’s three most targeted nations due to its expanding digital economy and increasing cyberattack surface.
He also referenced the Lloyd Cybersecurity Outlook, which estimated that cybercrime cost Nigeria more than $3bn between 2019 and 2025.
Inuwa stressed that every government digital service represents a commitment to efficiency, transparency and accessibility, adding that such promises can only be fulfilled if the underlying systems are adequately secured.
He warned that today’s cyber threats are orchestrated by highly organised and well-funded actors capable of exploiting weaknesses across multiple institutions.
“A weakness in one MDA becomes a doorway into another. Our defences cannot be fragmented. Cybersecurity in government is a shared national obligation, and we are only as strong as our least protected system,” he said.
The NITDA DG reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to strengthening national cyber resilience through its Computer Emergency Response and Readiness Team, describing it as government’s first point of contact during cyber incidents.
However, he maintained that preventing attacks through proactive measures remained more effective than responding after incidents had occurred.
He said effective cybersecurity requires continuous risk assessments, strong governance structures, policy implementation, regular awareness campaigns, technical safeguards, incident response planning and sustained capacity development.
Inuwa also described government personnel as the first and most critical line of defence against cyber threats, insisting that technology alone cannot guarantee security.
“No firewall or technical control can replace an informed, alert and security-conscious workforce. That is what we refer to as the human firewall,” he said.
He urged participants to take advantage of the workshop, describing it as a platform for practical learning, intelligence sharing and collaborative problem-solving through discussions and case studies based on recent cyber incidents affecting public institutions.
The NITDA boss further disclosed that participants would be the first external stakeholders to review and provide feedback on the agency’s draft Regulatory Guidelines for Government Information Security Management ahead of wider consultations.
He encouraged participants to openly discuss cybersecurity challenges within their respective organisations, noting that such exchanges could help other agencies strengthen their own defences.
“Ask difficult questions and honestly share the security concerns within your environment because your candour may help a sister agency avoid the same issue,” he advised.
Inuwa expressed optimism that Nigeria’s ongoing digital transformation would deliver greater benefits if backed by robust cybersecurity measures.
“Nigeria’s digital future is not a threat to be feared. It is an opportunity to be secured. Securing it is precisely the duty we have gathered here to take up together,” he said.
