In 2024, Nigeria recorded 17 major data breaches currently under investigation by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) across various sectors, including finance, technology, and education.
Additionally, the NDPC received over 1,000 reports of data breaches, with 50 cases verified as legitimate.
The ongoing investigations highlight significant challenges in data protection compliance within both public and private institutions in Nigeria, emphasizing the need for improved cybersecurity measures and regulatory frameworks to safeguard sensitive information.
The sectors most affected by data breaches in Nigeria included:
Finance: This sector was highlighted as particularly vulnerable, with ongoing investigations into several banks for data breaches.
Technology: Companies in this sector faced significant scrutiny, including major players like Opay and Meta.
Education: Institutions such as Babcock University were among those investigated for data protection compliance failures.
Government: Sensitive government data breaches were reported, raising concerns about the integrity of public sector data security.
Logistics and Gaming: These sectors also reported incidents, indicating a broad spectrum of vulnerabilities across various industries.
