Nigeria suffered more than ₦12 billion in financial losses from cybercrime in 2024, as the country recorded over 4,000 cyberattacks every week, according to the National Commissioner of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr Vincent Olatunji.
Speaking at the IoT West Africa 2026 conference in Lagos, Olatunji said Nigeria now accounts for about 45 per cent of all reported cyber incidents across Africa, underlining the scale of the country’s growing digital security challenge.
He warned that cyber threats are intensifying, with coordinated malicious actors increasingly targeting Nigeria’s financial systems and critical digital infrastructure.
“Even the NDPC itself is targeted, recording about 1,500 intrusion attempts on its networks in a single week,” he stated.
Olatunji also drew attention to the wider global threat landscape, noting that cybercrime costs worldwide are projected to reach $10.5 trillion annually, with attacks taking place every 39 seconds.
He said the increasing frequency and sophistication of cyberattacks demand urgent action from both public and private sector organisations in Nigeria.
To combat the rising threat, the NDPC has issued an advisory urging organisations to strengthen cybersecurity frameworks through Identity Controls, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and Zero-Trust security architecture.
The commission also recommended the deployment of real-time logging, threat detection systems and encryption of sensitive data, alongside strict compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
Olatunji stressed the importance of appointing certified Data Protection Officers, carrying out regular vulnerability assessments, and conducting routine backups and recovery testing to ensure institutions can withstand successful cyber breaches.
His remarks come amid increasing concern over cyber resilience in Nigeria as businesses, government institutions and individuals face mounting risks from digital attacks.
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