NIMC Assures Nigerians of Data Security Despite Undersea Cable Cut

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has refuted claims that its database was compromised due to the undersea cable cut that affected services of banks and telecom operators in Nigeria.

Mr. Kayode Adegoke, the Head of Corporate Communications at NIMC, issued a statement in Abuja reassuring Nigerians about the safety and security of their data. This assurance from the commission was prompted by reports in certain media outlets alleging a breach of citizens’ data by a private organization named XpressVerify. NIMC reiterated its commitment to safeguarding citizens’ data and ensuring its protection.We express gratitude to media partners and whistleblowers for bringing this matter to our attention and wish to assure Nigerians and legal residents that there is no data breach of any sort. Citizens’ data is safe and secure in Nigeria’s National Identity Database,” the statement affirmed.

Director-General of NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the matter to determine if any of the Commission’s Tokenization verification agents breached the licensing agreement, either directly or through sub-licenses. This investigation aims to ensure accountability and maintain the integrity of the data management system.Top-level security measures are in place to protect the National Identification Number (NIN) and other personal data of every citizen and legal resident,” she stated. These security measures include robust encryption protocols, access controls, and regular audits to detect and prevent unauthorized access or data breaches.

NIMC reaffirms its steadfast commitment to safeguarding, securing, and responsibly managing the data entrusted to it. The Commission recognizes the importance of maintaining public trust and confidence in the integrity of the national identity management system.NAN reports that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) stated that repair works are ongoing on the undersea cable cuts that caused equipment faults on major undersea cables along the West African Coast on Thursday, resulting in internet service disruptions. These disruptions highlight the critical importance of maintaining reliable and resilient telecommunications infrastructure to support essential services and economic activities.

The disruption to the West Africa Cable System, MainOne, and ACE sea cables, which serve as vital conduits for telecommunications data, occurred on Thursday, leading to widespread outages and connectivity issues for mobile operators and internet service providers throughout the region.MainOne, in a statement on Friday, attributed the incident to an “external incident” that caused a cut to its cable system in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Cote D’Ivoire in West Africa. The company ruled out human activity as the cause, suggesting instead that seismic activity on the seabed may have resulted in the cable break.

According to MainOne, the preliminary analysis indicates that the cable break occurred due to seismic activity. The company plans to gather more data during the repair process, which will provide additional insights into the cause of the incident.Given the considerable distance from land and the depth of the cable at the point of fault, approximately 3 kilometers (1.86 miles), MainOne stated that activities such as ship anchors, fishing, and drilling have been immediately ruled out as potential causes.

MainOne emphasized its commitment to resolving the issue swiftly and ensuring the integrity and reliability of its cable system, which plays a critical role in facilitating telecommunications connectivity across the region.The incident had a significant adverse impact on data and fixed telecom services in multiple countries across West Africa, including Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, and Côte D’Ivoire, among others.

However, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) issued a statement indicating that the operators of the damaged cables had already begun repairs, with internet services gradually being restored.According to the NCC, cable companies such as the West African Cable System (WACS) and the African Coast to Europe (ACE) in the West Coast route from Europe experienced faults, while SAT3 and MainOne encountered downtime.The statement further highlighted that similar undersea cables responsible for traffic from Europe to the East Coast of Africa, such as Seacom, Europe India Gateway (EIG), and Asia-Africa-Europe 1 (AAE1), were also affected, with some experiencing cuts around the Red Sea. This resulted in service degradation across these routes.In Nigeria and other affected West African countries, disruptions in internet access and speed were reported within the networks of service providers.