*Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development officially launches National Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2026, emphasising the cybersafety campaign serves as a national call to action for all stakeholders in the country’s digital ecosystem
Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has officially launched National Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2026 under the central theme, “Together for a Safer Cyberspace”.
The event is coming at an suspicious time when digital technology increasingly, powers everyday life, commerce, and public governance across the West African country.
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ConsumerConnect reports NITDA disclosed the month-long campaign serves as a national call to action.
IT Regulator: Securing Nigeria’s digital landscape a collective responsibility
The IT sector regulatory agency also stated that digital safety is no longer solely the responsibility of IT professionals, government agencies, or security experts.
Instead, NITDA emphasised that securing Nigeria’s digital landscape requires an active, shared commitment from every citizen, business, and institution participating in the online ecosystem.
Besides, with the rapid global shift towards Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automated systems, modern cyberthreats have evolved beyond standard phishing.
According to the agency, recent worldwide security trends have indicated a sharp rise in sophisticated risks—including AI-driven social engineering, deepfake impersonations, voice cloning, and fraudulent QR code attacks (“quishing”).
Mrs. Hadiza Umar, fnipr,
Director of Corporate Communications at NITDA, in a statement, emphasised that building a resilient cyberspace depends heavily on individual vigilance and proactive personal security practices.
Some guardrails against vulnerabilities in cyberspace, by NITDA
In mitigating these emerging cyberthreats and safeguarding personal and organisational digital assets, NITDA advised all Nigerians to adopt core cyber hygiene habits through the following precautionary measures:
*Use Strong, Unique Passwords: Avoid repeating passwords across multiple accounts, and leverage secure password managers to create and store complex passphrases.
*Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Add a vital secondary layer of protection to all personal, professional, and financial accounts to block unauthorised login attempts.
*Maintain Software and Device Hygiene: Promptly install security patches and Operating System (OS) updates to protect devices against known system vulnerabilities.
*Safeguard Sensitive Financial Credentials: Never share One-Time Passwords (OTPs), personal identification numbers (PINs), or online banking log-in details under any circumstances.
*Exercise Caution with AI and Emerging Online Tools: Practice strict data privacy by avoiding the upload of sensitive personal, financial, or proprietary corporate information into public AI models or unfamiliar online platforms.
*Verify Links and Media Before Interacting: Stay alert to suspicious links, unknown attachments, and unsolicited requests for personal info—especially those using urgent language, synthetic audio, or deepfake visuals.
*Practice Responsible Social Sharing: Mind what is posted publicly on social platforms, as oversharing sensitive details can enable targeted social engineering attacks.
*Maintain Frequent Offline and Cloud Backups: Keep crucial personal and organisational data safely backed up to ensure swift recovery in the event of ransomware or system disruptions.
NITDA as well stressed that through its computer emergency response structure, the IT sector regulator “remains dedicated to equipping citizens and organisations with the tools, knowledge, and frameworks necessary to mitigate digital risks, report incidents, and foster a secure, inclusive digital economy.”
The agency, therefore, urged Nigerian digital consumers to connect and engage by following official cybersecurity updates, awareness tips, and threat advisories across social media: @NITDANigeria.
For further inquiries and incident reporting:
Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team (CERRT.ng), and Web site: www.cerrt.ng; E-mail: cerrt@nitda.gov.ng, and Phone: +234 817 877 4580.