The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria’s premier data agency, continues to grapple with the aftermath of a cyberattack that crippled its official website on December 18, 2024. Despite efforts to restore the platform, it remains inaccessible as of January 14, 2025.
The timing of the attack, just days after the release of the contentious Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey, which reported Nigerians paying N2.3 trillion in ransom within a year, has sparked speculation about a potential
The prolonged downtime has raised concerns about the release of critical economic data, including the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and inflation figures, typically due on the 15th of each month. Policymakers, analysts, and investors, who rely heavily on these statistics, have voiced frustrations over the disruption.
Responding to the breach, the NBS reassured the public via its official X (formerly Twitter) account that efforts were ongoing to restore normalcy. The agency advised users to disregard information from the compromised platform.
Joel Ichedi, NBS spokesperson, cited extended investigations and the holiday season as reasons for the delay in recovery. “Efforts are ongoing to restore the site,” he said, though he declined to provide a specific timeline.
Notably, the NBS has allocated N35 million in its 2025 budget proposal for “Capacity Building on Cybersecurity and Data Centre Management.” This measure aims to prevent similar occurrences in the future and improve operational efficiency.
Amid the crisis, the Nigerian Marketing Research Association (NIMRA) has pledged to develop private-sector alternatives to ensure data availability during such disruptions. The association emphasized the need for diversified data sources to mitigate reliance on a single agency.
The hack has already had a ripple effect. The Central Bank of Nigeria postponed its Monetary Policy Committee meeting, initially slated for January 27–28, 2025, to February 17–18, 2025.
While the NBS remains silent on when its website will be operational again, the incident underscores the urgent need for robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard Nigeria’s critical data infrastructure.
