Lagos warns residents over cybercrime risks

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State

The Lagos State Government has urged residents to strengthen their online security, warning that poor digital-safety practices leave internet users vulnerable to cybercriminals.

The Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, gave the warning this week as the state joined the global observance of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, with plans to run public education campaigns in English, Yoruba and Pidgin throughout October.

Sanwo-Olu said residents needed to take greater responsibility for protecting their personal information and digital accounts, stressing that cybersecurity could not be left to the government and technology professionals alone.

“Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility. Citizens must remain vigilant, understand common cyber risks, and take proactive steps to protect themselves from cybercriminals,” the governor said.

“Most victims of cybercrime are those who are unaware of basic digital safety practices—making public education essential,” he added.

The campaign, coordinated through the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology and the state’s Cybersecurity Advisory Board, will use social and traditional media to promote basic precautions against online fraud and other digital threats.

The state said the campaign would educate residents on how to recognise phishing attempts, create strong passwords, enable multifactor authentication and keep their devices updated.

The initiative follows the launch earlier this year of the Lagos State Cybersecurity Guidelines, which the government said provide security recommendations for small, medium-sized and large businesses operating in the state.

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Through the guidelines, the government aims to give businesses practical measures for protecting their digital assets, although it did not provide figures on the number of businesses that had adopted the framework or the extent of compliance.

The state also said it had expanded cybersecurity training and professional development across public institutions and was working towards ISO 27001 certification, an international standard for information security management.

The awareness campaign is part of the global Cybersecurity Awareness Month initiative, which promotes safer online behaviour and stronger protection of digital systems.

Despite the initiatives, the government did not disclose figures on cybercrime cases in Lagos, the financial losses recorded by residents or the number of people expected to be reached by the October campaign.

The Cybersecurity Advisory Board is led by a professor, Fene Osakwe, according to the state.

The government urged residents to remain alert to suspicious messages and links, protect their account credentials and adopt safer online habits.