The National Bureau of Statistics has allocated ₦35 million in its 2025 budget proposal for “Capacity Building on Cybersecurity and Data Centre Management.”
This move follows the December 18, 2024, cyberattack that compromised the agency’s website, highlighting vulnerabilities in its systems.
The funding is expected to enhance staff training, improve cybersecurity measures, and safeguard critical national data.
The breach, publicly announced through the bureau’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, prompted a warning for the public to ignore information on the platform until the issue was resolved.
The incident has raised serious concerns about the vulnerability of the bureau’s digital infrastructure, given its critical role as Nigeria’s primary source of statistical data.
Beyond cybersecurity, the NBS’s 2025 budget proposal outlines several initiatives to boost operational efficiency, modernize infrastructure, and improve service delivery.
Key allocations include ₦55 million for the National Agricultural Sample Survey, ₦20 million for compiling Tourism, Education, Health, and Natural Resources Satellite Accounts, ₦50 million for tracking the implementation of the 8-Point Agenda, and ₦50 million for the System of Administrative Statistics Reports.
Other notable allocations include N60m for the National Integrated Survey of Establishment, N45m for Reform and Service Delivery Capacity Building, N35m for SDG Tracking, and N30m for the Revision of the Statistics Act.
The NBS’s 2025 budget also includes ₦25 million each for Financial Management Capacity Building and Sustainable Procurement Methods Capacity Building, alongside ₦10 million for enhancing skills in creating infographics and statistical reports. Notably, ₦500 million has been allocated for the Labour Force Survey, one of the most significant projects in the proposal.
It also includes ₦60 million for the compilation of Quarterly GDP by Production, Expenditure, and Income. Additionally, ₦15 million has been set aside for the Waste Generated Statistics Report in Nigeria, while ₦10 million has been allocated for the NBS Annual Report and Quarterly Progress Reports.
N80m has been set aside for the National Consultative Committee on Statistics, an initiative that facilitates collaboration among stakeholders in the national statistical system.
The Annual Abstract of Statistics has received N15m, while the Production of Demographic Statistics Bulletin has been allocated N9m.
The NBS, a key government agency tasked with collecting and disseminating statistical data on Nigeria’s economy, governance, and development, plays a vital role in shaping public policy and decision-making.
The recent cyberattack underscores the growing susceptibility of government institutions to digital threats.
