Cybercrime cost Nigeria more than $3 billion between 2019 and 2025, highlighting the growing economic impact of digital threats as the country accelerates the expansion of its digital economy, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has said.
Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General of NITDA, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at a two-day cybersecurity workshop for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), citing findings from the Deloitte Nigeria Cybersecurity Outlook 2026.
He warned that the rapid digitisation of government services had increased the exposure of public institutions to increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks.
Represented by Ayodele Bakare, Assistant Director in NITDA’s Cybersecurity Department, Inuwa also referenced the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Cybercrime Assessment, which ranked Nigeria among the three most targeted countries for cybercrime in Africa.
He attributed the trend to the country’s expanding digital economy and growing reliance on online platforms.
