The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Abdullahi, has revealed that three major global tech companies deactivated more than 28 million Nigerian-linked accounts within the last year due to fraud, impersonation, and harmful online activities.
Abdullahi disclosed on Monday while speaking at a symposium on digital innovations in crisis communication organized by the Centre for Crisis Communication.
Google disabled 9,680,141 accounts associated with online scams, impersonation, and harmful content.
LinkedIn removed almost 16 million accounts, a figure he described as “alarming,” given the platform’s reputation as a professional networking space.
TikTok also carried out large-scale removals for similar violations.
According to him, the account deactivations were part of ongoing joint efforts between the Federal Government and global tech companies to curb digital threats and enhance crisis response mechanisms.
Abdullahi said the scale of impersonation and deception on professional platforms like LinkedIn was particularly troubling, noting that criminals now exploit even career-focused networks for fraud and social engineering attacks.
He added that digital platforms collectively took down over 58.9 million harmful content items during the period, while 420,000 posts were restored after user appeals or internal reviews.
The NITDA DG emphasised the need for a transparent and jointly agreed system for content removal and reinstatement that prevents misuse by authorities while ensuring that genuinely harmful content is swiftly addressed.
He noted, “If content does not violate Nigerian law, we have no basis to demand that it be removed,” stressing that the reinstatement process must protect minority voices from arbitrary censorship.
Abdullahi highlighted that collaborations with big tech firms have strengthened regulatory compliance and supported data protection initiatives, including the establishment of the Nigerian Data Protection Commission, which stems from the Nigerian Data Protection Regulation.
Over the last decade, social media has become central to communication in Nigeria but has also enabled the spread of misinformation, extremist messages and widespread digital fraud targeting individuals and institutions.
Federal agencies, including NITDA, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and the NDPC, continue to work with global platforms to enforce regulations that maintain national security without eroding free speech.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, represented by the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, Jibrin Ndace, said emerging technologies must be harnessed to strengthen crisis communication and protect national stability.
He noted that crises are not only shaped by events but by narratives surrounding them.
Also addressing the gathering, the Chairman of the Centre for Crisis Communication, Major General Chris Olukolade (rtd.), described crisis communication as a critical national security function, warning that modern emergencies unfold in real time and require equally swift and credible communication from institutions.
He stressed that digital platforms now significantly influence how crises develop, and timely access to verified information has become essential for public safety and effective institutional response.
