The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Kashifu Abdullahi, has disclosed that Google, LinkedIn and TikTok removed more than 28 million Nigerian accounts in the past year under a joint effort with the Federal Government to tackle online fraud, impersonation and harmful content.

Abdullahi gave the figures on Monday at a symposium on digital innovations in crisis communication organised by the Centre for Crisis Communication.

He said Google alone deactivated 9,680,141 accounts linked to scams, identity fraud and harmful material, while LinkedIn removed almost 16 million accounts.

TikTok, he added, carried out similar enforcement actions.

He expressed concern over LinkedIn’s numbers, noting that the platform’s professional focus had not deterred misuse.

“For me, this is outrageous because LinkedIn is mostly a professional site. So why are people using it to cause crises and other things? They use it for impersonation and for social engineering to defraud organisations and individuals,” he said.

Abdullahi explained that the suspensions followed ongoing collaboration between the Federal Government and global technology companies aimed at reducing online harms and improving crisis management.

He added that more than 58.9 million pieces of content were removed across the platforms within the same period, while 420,000 posts were reinstated after complaints or internal reviews.

“Over 58,909,000 contents were removed last year through our relationship with these big techs, and 420,000 contents were reinstated — some after complaints, some after their own internal review,” he said.

He stressed the need for an agreed process for both take-downs and reinstatements to prevent abuse by governments or powerful interests, while ensuring harmful content is removed.

“If content is not violating any laws in Nigeria, there is no way we can just say take it down,” he said, adding that minority voices must be protected through clear reinstatement mechanisms.

Abdullahi said the government’s cooperation with major platforms has strengthened communication channels and supported regulatory frameworks such as Nigeria’s Data Protection Regulation, which led to the creation of the Nigerian Data Protection Commission.

In remarks delivered on behalf of the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, Jibrin Ndace, said emerging technologies must be used to strengthen crisis communication in ways that protect public safety.

The Minister noted that technology offers new opportunities but also creates challenges that can undermine stability if left unregulated.

“It is not only the insecurity that we battle, but also the narrative that frames the insecurity,” he said.

The Chairman of the Centre for Crisis Communication, retired Major General Chris Olukolade, said crisis communication has become a strategic national security asset.

He noted that modern emergencies unfold in real time and increasingly depend on verified information, institutional coordination and swift public responses.