Paradigm initiative (PIN), a group committed to connecting underserved young Africans with digital opportunities and ensuring protection of digital rights, has urged the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), to adopt stricter measures to secure sensitive data of Nigerians against unauthorised access.
Confirming the development, the group’s executive director, Gbenga Sesan noted that this became imperative in the face of several unauthorised websites providing access to sensitive personal and financial data of Nigerians for as cheap as N100.
He made reference to a private website named XpressVerify that had access to personal data of Nigerians and commercialised it for personal gain. Though, it was later pulled down. He stated, “Following the XpressVerify incident, another website Anyverify.com.ng had been operating in the digital space of Nigeria since November 2023 distributing data of Nigerians for commercial purposes.
“On its webpage, a drop down displaying myriads of data services which the website renders can be observed. This include personal data such as the National Identity Number(NIN), the Bank Verification Number (BVN), a virtual NIN, Driving License, these are sold by this website to any interested party for the sum of N100.00 (One Hundred Naira Only) for each data request,”
He, however, stressed that there should be an immediate and decisive action to address this critical issue, as the government need to conduct a thorough investigation to identify these illegal online activities, while enhancing cybersecurity security measures to prevent further data breaches.
Sesan buttressed that section 30 and section 39 of the the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023, all involved agencies of government have a duty to implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure the security and integrity of citizen’s sensitive personal data.
He further, called on stakeholders, including government agencies, financial institutions, the private sector, media, researchers and Civil Society Organizations, to collaborate in addressing this data privacy crisis.
According to him, ”Protecting the personal information of Nigerian citizens is of paramount importance, and collective efforts are needed to restore trust and ensure the security of our nation’s data infrastructure.
Meanwhile, in a chat with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Spokesperson, Kayode Adegoke has debunked the statements, as he disclosed that law enforcement authorities have been authorized to crack down on and apprehend individuals involved in online phishing schemes targeting citizens’ data from other sources.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR has done tremendously well in the area of identity management and by extension, his immense support to the NIMC has seen to the security of the database,” he stated.