Cyberattack: One week to inflation figures release, NBS website still down

It is just one week to the release of the December 2024 inflation figures, but there is still no hope that the website of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which shut down over three weeks ago, will be active by then.

The NBS, on December 18, 2024, announced to the nation that its website had been compromised.

Although the bureau did not give details or the nature of the attack, it warned against using any information posted on the site until it is fully restored.

According to the NBS in a statement announcing the breach, “Our team is actively working to resolve the issue and restore full functionality. We advise the public to disregard any messages or reports published on the website until further notice.”

During this shutdown period, the NBS has so far delayed the online publication of some key third-quarter reports on capital flows into Nigeria, as well as an update on outstanding local and foreign debt for the same period.

So far, there is no assurance that the statistics agency will be ready with the website before January 15, which is the due date for the publication of the inflation figures for December 2024.

From all indications, it appears to be a case of once bitten, twice shy, as the Director of Information and Public Relations at NBS, Mr. Sunday Ichedi, said in an interview that the agency was taking every security measure to ensure that the site is well-secured against any future attack.

He said, “You will agree with me that what happened was an embarrassment and we would not want it to happen again. That is why we are taking our time to put every security feature that will ward off any future attacks.”

Although he did not give a specific date when the site will return, he said he hopes it will be ready as soon as possible.

The shutdown has significantly limited access to important data for researchers, policymakers, businesses, the media, and the general public.

The attack occurred shortly after the NBS released the ‘Crime Experienced and Security Perception Survey’ (CESPS) 2024 report, which indicated that the average amount paid by Nigerians as ransom between May 2023 and April 2024 stood at N2.67 million, while about N2.23 trillion was paid within the reference period.

The report was alleged to have ruffled feathers among security agencies, which weighed the security implications. Following the report, the Statistician General of the Federation, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, was questioned by the Department of State Services (DSS).