By Stella Odueme
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has launched the 2026 National Cybersecurity Awareness Month with a call for collective action to build a safer and more resilient digital environment in Nigeria.
The campaign, held under the theme, “Together for a Safer Cyberspace,” emphasises that cybersecurity is a shared responsibility involving individuals, businesses, government institutions and other participants in the digital ecosystem.
According to a statement by the NITDA's Director, Corporate Communications, Mrs. Hadiza Umar, the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence and automated technologies had also transformed the nature of cyber threats, with emerging risks including AI-driven social engineering, deepfake impersonation, voice cloning and fraudulent QR-code attacks, commonly known as “quishing.”
The agency urged Nigerians to strengthen their cyber hygiene by using strong and unique passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication and promptly installing software and security updates.
It also advised the public never to disclose sensitive financial information, including one-time passwords (OTPs), personal identification numbers (PINs) and online banking credentials.
NITDA further cautioned Nigerians against uploading sensitive personal, financial or proprietary information to public AI models or unfamiliar online platforms.
The agency encouraged users to verify links, attachments and unsolicited requests before responding, particularly those involving urgent demands, synthetic audio or deepfake images and videos.
It also urged Nigerians to be mindful of the information they share publicly on social media, noting that excessive disclosure of personal details could expose users to targeted social engineering attacks.
According to NITDA, maintaining regular offline and cloud backups is equally important to ensure that critical personal and organisational data can be recovered in the event of ransomware attacks or system disruptions.
The agency said through its computer emergency response structure, it remained committed to equipping citizens and organisations with the knowledge, tools and frameworks needed to mitigate digital risks, report incidents and support the growth of a secure and inclusive digital economy.
The agency encouraged Nigerians to follow its official cybersecurity updates, awareness tips and threat advisories on social media via @NITDANigeria.
For cybersecurity incident reporting and further enquiries, members of the public can contact the Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team (CERRT.ng) through its website, www.cerrt.ng�, email, cerrt@nitda.gov.ng, or phone +234 817 877 4580.