NITDA calls on website owners to adopt security extensions as uptake remains low

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has urged website owners and government agencies to adopt DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC), with uptake standing at 9.15 per cent.

The agency said wider adoption would strengthen Nigeria’s cybersecurity and protect internet users against malicious website redirects and fraudulent online platforms.

NITDA’s Director-General, Mr Kashifu Abdullahi, made the call on earlier in the week at a webinar organised by the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) in Abuja.

Abdullahi, represented by NITDA Senior Manager, Mr Olusegunfunmi Folayan, spoke on the theme: ‘Securing Nigeria’s Digital Foundation: The .ng Domain and the Future of National Cyber Resilience’.

He described DNSSEC as a security mechanism that uses cryptographic verification to prevent attackers from tampering with domain name information.

Abdullahi explained that the Domain Name System (DNS) translates website names into numerical Internet Protocol addresses, enabling users to access online services.

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He warned that compromised DNS lookups could redirect unsuspecting users to malicious websites, exposing them to cyberattacks and potential financial losses.

“Before any transaction or financial return is processed, even when accessing government portals, a DNS lookup must occur,” he said.

According to him, DNSSEC establishes a chain of trust through digital signatures, enabling DNS resolvers to verify the authenticity and integrity of information received.

He stressed that securing the .ng domain registry alone was insufficient, as individual domain owners must also activate DNSSEC to protect their websites.

The NITDA chief commended NiRA for deploying DNSSEC infrastructure for Nigeria’s .ng domain registry in February 2026, describing it as an important digital security milestone.

He, however, said DNSSEC adoption must be complemented by infrastructure redundancy, continuous security monitoring and effective incident recovery mechanisms.

Abdullahi urged organisations to conduct regular vulnerability assessments, promptly address security weaknesses and strengthen identity and access management controls.

He also advocated regular cryptographic key rotation, particularly in banking, alongside sustained investment in technical capacity and staff training.

He emphasised that cybersecurity required coordinated action by domain registries, registrars, internet service providers (ISPs), government agencies, website owners and software developers.

In a separate presentation, Folayan said NITDA had directed Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in April 2026 to strengthen security controls under Nigeria’s National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy.

He urged organisations to report data breaches promptly and comply with applicable provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.

The presentation identified government websites, particularly those using the .gov.ng domain, as priorities for DNSSEC adoption, alongside banking, fintech, telecommunications and e-commerce.

It recommended that domain registrars make DNSSEC readily available to customers, while ISPs should enable DNSSEC validation to protect internet users.

Folayan disclosed that Nigeria’s .ng domain namespace had exceeded 100,000 domain names, supported by more than 149 accredited registrars.