The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has launched the 2026 National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, mobilising Nigerians to adopt safer digital practices and contribute to building a more secure cyberspace.
The month-long initiative, themed “Together for a Safer Cyberspace,” is aimed at raising public awareness about emerging cyber threats and promoting collective responsibility for protecting Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
NITDA said the increasing reliance on digital technology for everyday activities, commerce and public governance had made cybersecurity a responsibility that extends beyond IT professionals, government agencies and security experts.
The agency noted that the rapid global adoption of artificial intelligence and automated systems had also introduced new dimensions to cyber threats, including AI-driven social engineering, deepfake impersonation, voice cloning and fraudulent QR-code attacks, commonly known as “quishing.”
According to NITDA, individual vigilance and proactive security measures are critical to protecting personal information, financial assets and organisational digital infrastructure against these evolving threats.
The agency advised Nigerians to use strong and unique passwords across their accounts and leverage secure password managers to generate and store complex passphrases.
It also urged individuals and organisations to enable multi-factor authentication on personal, professional and financial accounts as an additional layer of protection against unauthorised access.
NITDA further advised Nigerians to maintain proper software and device hygiene by promptly installing security patches and operating system updates to protect against known vulnerabilities.
The agency cautioned members of the public against sharing sensitive financial credentials, including One-Time Passwords (OTPs), Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) and online banking login details.
It also urged users of artificial intelligence and emerging online platforms to exercise caution when handling sensitive information, warning against uploading personal, financial or proprietary corporate data to public AI models or unfamiliar digital services.
NITDA called on Nigerians to verify links, attachments and digital media before interacting with them, particularly unsolicited requests containing urgent language, suspicious links, synthetic audio or deepfake visuals.
The agency also encouraged responsible social media sharing, noting that excessive disclosure of personal information could provide cybercriminals with useful material for targeted social engineering attacks.
It recommended that individuals and organisations maintain regular offline and cloud backups of critical data to facilitate swift recovery in the event of ransomware attacks, system disruptions or other cyber incidents.
NITDA said its computer emergency response structure remained committed to equipping citizens and organisations with the knowledge, tools and frameworks required to mitigate digital risks, report incidents and strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy.
The agency urged Nigerians to actively participate in the 2026 National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and embrace cybersecurity as a shared responsibility in the collective effort to create a safer and more resilient digital Nigeria.
