As Nigeria accelerates its digital transformation, the nation’s data gatekeepers are under siege.
Dr. Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, NDPC, has revealed that hackers launched more than 2,000 attacks on the Commission’s service portal within a single week.
The disclosure was made in Abuja during a technical and organizational drill on data protection measures for IT administrators across Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, a program organized by the NDPC to strengthen Nigeria’s cyber defenses.
“Digitalization is progress, but it also invites new battles”
Dr. Olatunji highlighted the growing wave of cyber threats confronting government institutions as more public services migrate online. The surge in attacks, he noted, is a direct consequence of Nigeria’s rapid digitalization, where efficiency gains are matched by increased vulnerability.
He stressed that the 2,000+ attacks in seven days were more than statistics. They were a warning. A signal that government institutions can no longer treat cybersecurity as an afterthought.
The Urgent Call: Defend the Data, Build the People
According to the NDPC boss, the incidents underline two urgent priorities:
Strengthen cyber defenses — Deploy robust technical infrastructure to secure sensitive data and digital systems.
Build human capacity — Train and equip IT administrators, because technology is only as strong as the people managing it.
“Government organisations have increasingly become prime targets for cybercriminals,” Dr. Olatunji said. “As public services move online, our responsibility to protect citizens’ data must move faster.”
The NDPC’s drill for MDA administrators is part of a broader strategy to institutionalize a culture of data protection across government. The message is clear: in the age of digital governance, national security now includes data security.
As Nigeria pushes forward with e-governance, health portals, and digital ID systems, the question is no longer if we will be attacked, but how prepared we are when we are.
