National Bureau of Statistics Website Down Nearly Three Weeks After Hack
The official website of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) remains offline nearly three weeks after it was hacked, causing concern ahead of the anticipated release of the December inflation report scheduled for January 15, 2025. As of Monday, January 7, 2025, the website has still not been restored, and users attempting to access it are greeted with an inactive page.
On December 18, 2024, NBS confirmed that its website had been compromised by hackers. At the time, the bureau assured the public that efforts were underway to restore the website, which serves as a key platform for publishing vital national statistics and reports.
The hack follows a recent survey released by the NBS, which reported that Nigerians had paid an estimated N2.3 trillion in ransoms over a 12-month period, and that 65 percent of households had been affected by kidnapping incidents. This survey had stirred controversy over its authenticity, but the cybersecurity breach has raised further concerns about the security of national data.
In response to the hack, the NBS has allocated N35 million towards enhancing its cybersecurity in its 2025 budget, which totals N9.85 billion. However, with the NBS website still down, questions remain about the agency’s ability to secure its online infrastructure and deliver timely, accurate reports, including the upcoming inflation data.
