Tag: NITDA

FG Reaffirms Commitment to Protect Nigerians’ Digital Privacy

The Federal Government of Nigeria says it remains committed to safeguarding the rights and privacy of citizens in the digital space through strengthened cybersecurity policies and regulations.

Ayodele Bakare, Assistant Director in the Cybersecurity Department of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Abuja.

Bakare said Nigeria’s cybersecurity governance operates through a collaborative approach involving multiple government institutions, each responsible for specific aspects of the national framework.

According to him, the Office of the National Security Adviser provides overall coordination of the country’s cybersecurity initiatives through the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre, which serves as its operational arm.

“At the national level, cybersecurity implementation is done collectively, and different government organisations are responsible for implementing different aspects of the national cybersecurity framework,” he said.

Bakare explained that one of the key policy instruments guiding Nigeria’s cybersecurity efforts is the National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy.

He also highlighted the legal backing provided by the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, which was amended in 2024 to strengthen the country’s response to cyber threats and digital crimes.

The NITDA official added that the agency has introduced sector-specific regulations aimed at improving cybersecurity practices across different sectors of the economy.

16/03/2026
FCCPC Sets January 2026 Deadline For Digital Lenders’ Full Compliance

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has set January 5, 2026, as the deadline for all digital lending platforms and intermediaries in Nigeria to fully comply with its new consumer lending regulations.

The directive, announced on Thursday by the Commission’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, is part of the Federal Government’s effort to curb unethical practices in Nigeria’s rapidly expanding digital lending sector.

The new regulations, which took effect on July 21, 2025, under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018, aim to ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability across the lending ecosystem.

To aid implementation, the Commission has also released the Guidelines on the Digital, Electronic, Online and Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025. The guidelines, issued under Sections 17 and 163 of the FCCPA, provide practical direction for operators, outline documentation requirements, and include updated Forms 1 and 3 developed from stakeholder feedback.

According to the statement, applicants with pending submissions may supplement their applications with any additional information required under the new guidelines without waiting for formal notification. The FCCPC assured stakeholders that it would continue to process applications transparently and efficiently.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the FCCPC, Mr. Tunji Bello, emphasized the importance of meeting the compliance deadline. “Full compliance is not only a legal requirement but a crucial step in protecting consumers and ensuring that the sector grows fairly and responsibly. Operators have had ample time to adjust to the new regulations, and we expect all obligations to be met before the deadline,” he said.

The Commission warned that enforcement actions would begin immediately after January 5, 2026. Sanctions may include operational restrictions, suspension of non-compliant entities, and possible prosecution under the FCCPA.

Nigeria’s digital lending market has expanded rapidly in recent years, driven by mobile technology and demand for quick-access loans. However, the sector has been marred by consumer abuse, data breaches, and aggressive debt recovery methods by unlicensed operators, commonly known as “loan sharks.”

In response, the FCCPC, in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria, NITDA, and ICPC, launched a joint task force in 2022 to sanitize the sector. This led to an interim registration framework and the eventual introduction of the 2025 Regulations and Guidelines.

As of November 2025, 438 digital lending companies have received full approval from the Commission — a significant milestone in the ongoing effort to regulate Nigeria’s online lending industry.

13/11/2025
EFCC Chair Pushes for Law Against Unexplained Wealth

Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has called on the National Assembly to pass legislation criminalising unexplained wealth, warning that Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts will remain ineffective without such a legal tool.

Speaking at the National Conference on Public Accounts and Fiscal Governance in Abuja, organised by the Public Accounts Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives, Olukoyede described financial misconduct in the public sector as a major driver of economic hardship and insecurity.

“In the last three weeks, we began a commission-wide investigation into the extractive sector, particularly oil and gas. What we’re uncovering is staggering—and we’ve only scratched the surface,” he said.

Olukoyede stressed that mismanagement of public funds is directly linked to the country’s insecurity, including terrorism, kidnapping, and banditry, all fuelled by diverted resources that should have improved citizens’ lives.

He criticised legal constraints that hinder asset recovery, citing the requirement of a “predicate offence” before action can be taken on suspicious wealth. “Someone earns a modest civil service salary for 20 years and ends up with five luxury properties, yet we must prove theft before acting. That’s unacceptable,” he said.

Olukoyede appealed to lawmakers to urgently pass the Unexplained Wealth Bill, which was previously rejected by the last Assembly.

Meanwhile, the EFCC boss disclosed that 146 out of 194 foreigners arrested for cyber-related financial crimes in 2024 have been successfully prosecuted and convicted. “They will serve their sentences and be repatriated,” he confirmed.

In a related development, National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, reiterated President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to national development and digital security, dismissing political distractions as “noise.”

Ribadu spoke at the opening of the International Cybersecurity Conference in Abuja, organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). He emphasized collaboration between the public and private sectors, urging collective responsibility in securing Nigeria’s digital future.

“We are building a resilient, secure digital Nigeria. Let this conference be a turning point—not just policy talk but real action,” Ribadu said.

10/07/2025
NITDA urges journalists to stop fake news with digital tools

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) on Friday urged journalists to take advantage of the available digital tools to stop fake news.

Mallam Kashitu Abdullahi, Director-General of the agency, gave the advice at a workshop organised by the Image Merchant Promotions Limited, in collaboration with the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Port Harcourt.

Abdullahi said that the workshop, with the theme, “Imperatives of Digital News Verifications for 2023 Election”, was apt as it was directed to the upcoming general elections.

Abdullahi, represented by Mrs Hadiza Umar, Head Corporate Affairs and External Relations, said the agency was committed to the expansion of digital space, development of journalists’ human capital and the promotion of robust digital-based journalism.

He said such practice would serve the best interest of the nation.

Abdullahi mentioned seven strategic key pillars of digital economy of the agency to include developmental regulations, digital literacy and skills, digital transformation, digital innovation and enterpreneurship cyber security.

Abdullahi said the objective was to articulate the new strategy for NITDA in accordance with the current aspirations of the government, the realities of the day and to contribute its quota to the implementation of the index, lunched by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in 2019.

He commended the Image Merchant Promotions Limited, in collaboration with the NUJ, for making the workshop a reality.

He mentioned some of the challenges of digital erea as the over bearing presence of unregulated social media where fake news, toxic content, hate speech, divisive and inciting narratives were in because there were no gate keepers to direct it.

He said that knowing how to do fact checking by journalists would help them to do their jobs better and stem the tide of fake news.

Similarly, Mr Yushau Shuaibu, the Managing Director, Image Merchant outfit, urged journalists to be up on their duties, checking facts to ensure not to misinform, disinform or malinform the public.

Shuaibu urged journalists to be professional and more responsible in the information they gave to the public for the growth of the society.

Shuaibu advised journalists to be the gate keepers of the society and not social media influencers whose actions were detrimental to the peace and unity of the country.

In his speech, Mr Chris Isiguzo, the National President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), said the workshop was to sensitise journalists to digital journalism and fact-checking before the up coming general elections.

Isiguzo commended the Director General of NITDA for approving the training proposal for journalists in the country.
“We want to reduce all manner of fake news as far as this year’s election is concerned; we have gone to 21 states, we intend to go round the country to be able to build the capacity of 2,000 to 3,000 journalists, preparatory to the election,” he said.

Isiguzo reiterated the union’s commitment to partner with the security agencies, to ensure the safety of journalists before, during and after the elections.

The participants were trained on digital journalism, facts checking, digital inclusion, media ethics, responsible reporting and self-censorship in crisis communication.

14/01/2023
COVID19: NDA Seeks Collaboration With NITDA

The Nigerian Defence Academy, (NDA) has sought for collaboration with National Information Technology Development Agency
,(NITDA) in ICT expertise intervention, and capacity building to ensure the repositioning of the the NDA in preparation for Covid-19 post pandemic era.

The Commandant of NDA, Major General, Jamilu Sarharm while speaking to the Director General of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Abdullahi, during a courtesy call in Abuja said the academy management thought it necessary to visit NITDA and seek collaboration in various notable areas of ICT intervention for the Academy.

The Commandant noted that the NDA with over 2000 cadets realised that things are changing and affecting modes of learning especially during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.

” The whole world is now driven by ICT, we want to engage in online training for our cadets.

“we can’t wait any longer than to come around here basically to seek collaboration and more importantly seek for assistance and expertise,” Said the Commandant.

Responding, the DG NITDA, explained that the proactiveness of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in coming up with initiatives geared at repositioning ICT in Nigeria has played a critical role in the diversification of the nation’s economy, and would further reduce the negative impacts the novel Coronavirus (COVID 19) would have had on the digital economy.

According to Abdullahi, Nigeria is lucky to have begun putting in place measures aimed at promoting Digital Economy before the onset of Covid-19.

He recalled redesignation of the Ministry of Communications to Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, the unveiling of Digital Economy Strategies and Planning and the Digital Nigeria project which focuses on digital capacity building and digital literacy would go a long way in reshaping our Economy in post-pandemic era.

“These initiatives have helped because they are emerging globally and in Nigeria, what we have learnt from the pandemic or the crisis just made them profound and we are all embracing digital technologies.

” A lot of things are going to change. We are not going to go back to normal life. In terms of businesses, some will close down and new opportunities will come. So we don’t want to be left behind. We want to be part of the people shaping the new normal we are currently facing,” Said Abdullahi

He admonished people to explore the opportunities created by the pandemic to accelerate the trend that will shape the digital economy, and also reiterated the need for people to acquire requisite skills needed for digital economy.

“When we talk about digital economy, we are talking about knowledge economy which human capital is a key enabler because knowledge is what influences the digital economy,”

Citing example of how 25 people became the richest people in the world, and made 255billion dollars within two months of the global lockdown, the DG affirmed that, such is the power of knowledge, adding that NITDA gives good attention to capacity building and also collaborates with universities to produce the right skills needed for the digital world.

He further said the MIT REAP project of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy identified five key stakeholders which the University is part of, with an idea of the corporate world to work with the University to produce the right skills needed for digital economy.

In granting the prayers of the Academy, the DG assured that special consideration would be given to the requests.

“I have looked at your prayers even though you are not specific of what you really want from NITDA but you talked about e-learning, capacity building and ICT infrastructure, we do all these as interventions and we will see what we can do now and those we can plan for next year,” The DG assured.

05/06/2020