Targeted training from UNODC is equipping Nigerian law enforcement with the skills to combat cybercrime and safeguard people, institutions, and the economy.
Participants receiving their training certificate during a UNODC cybercrime training in Abuja, Nigeria
When UNODC conducted its first cybercrime assessment of Nigeria, the findings highlighted both the scale of the threat and the urgency of building stronger national responses. Cyber‑enabled crime is no longer confined to technical systems; it is disrupting businesses, undermining institutions, delaying services, and affecting families and communities across the country.
For frontline investigators like Fatima Dada of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), this challenge is not abstract. It is part of her daily work. Equipped with new skills from UNODC’s cybercrime training, Fatima is already applying Open‑Source Intelligence Techniques (OSINT) to trace digital assets, uncover threats, and strengthen Nigeria’s fight against cybercrime. “The skills gained are empowering my work and helping me trace digital assets, uncover threats, and strengthen Nigeria’s fight against cybercrime. Truly a game‑changer,” she reflects.
Fatima’s experience is mirrored across agencies. In a recent joint operation, the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF‑NCCC), working with the FBI and the US Secret Service, arrested three suspected threat actors in Lagos and Edo States. Linked to attacks targeting Microsoft 365 users, the operation is estimated to have prevented more than $2 million in further losses.
These results are part of a wider effort to build resilience. With support from the United States Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (US INL), UNODC delivered an intensive ransomware training course from 2 to 4 June for law enforcement officers across Nigeria. Participants came from key institutions, including the Office of the National Security Adviser (National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre and the NCTC), the National Digital Forensic Laboratory, the Nigeria Police Force, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, and others.
Over three days, officers worked through practical, scenario‑based exercises covering the anatomy of ransomware operations, forensic workflows, cryptocurrency tracing, and open‑source intelligence. They practiced the full lifecycle of a ransomware investigation – from evidence collection and preservation to digital artifact analysis and report preparation – building stronger, court‑ready cases.
The impact is measurable. Monitoring and evaluation of UNODC’s cybercrime training between September 2025 and March 2026 has shown clear operational improvements: a 95.5% task effectiveness rating and an average 96% positive supervisor validation. Officers reported more effective case handling, stronger evidence management, and improved coordination with colleagues and partner agencies. Supervisors confirmed greater competence, higher‑quality work, and 100% relevance of training topics to officers’ duties.
Targeted skills and inter‑agency collaboration are already translating into tangible progress in Nigeria’s fight against cybercrime. This initiative forms part of UNODC’s broader mandate to strengthen national responses to complex cyber threats and to equip frontline investigators with the tools they need to protect institutions, economies and communities.
Learn more about UNODC’s cybercrime interventions in Nigeria here.
Click Here For The Original Source.
