NITDA to launch Digital Trustmark Oct 17 to curb online fraud
In a bid to curb scams and fraudulent activities in online businesses, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has concluded plans to launch the Digital Trustmark on October 17, 2025.
The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, made the disclosure during a press conference on the National Digital Trustmark held in Abuja on Thursday.
Recall that the Digital Trustmark is a symbol of assurance in Nigeria’s digital landscape, designed to instill confidence in e-government, e-business, e-transactions, and other online services. As part of NITDA’s commitment to fostering innovation and trust, the Digital Trustmark will be awarded to online entities that adhere to stringent guidelines and a code of conduct, ensuring a secure digital environment for all users.
Speaking to newsmen, the DG said, “The digital economy has been the fastest-growing sector in Nigeria for almost five years now. It has already surpassed the oil and gas and other critical sectors in terms of contribution to our GDP. Globally, the digital economy has been contributing immensely to the global economy.
“The Nigerian economy is largely service-based because, based on our GDP, the service sector contributes more than 58 percent. And if you look at services today, almost all are powered by digital technology.
“That means if we are to base the digital economy properly, the contribution will be higher than what it is today, which we first get by looking at ICT. Our Minister, Dr. Bosun Tijjani, has also set a target to increase the contribution to 21 percent by 2027. But when you digitise, challenges come with it because technology is always a double-edged sword — you can use it as a tool or as a weapon. So, as the good guys are using it to increase productivity and efficiency in their businesses, the bad guys are exploiting it to cause harm.”
He explained that the situation discourages people from transacting online due to lack of trust and confidence in digital platforms.
“It always hurts when I find myself among foreigners and they ask me about Nigerians being scammers or ‘Yahoo boys.’ That gives us a bad image internationally and affects online business transactions,” Abdullahi lamented.
According to him, many countries do not trust Nigerian e-commerce platforms, and some even reject them. To address these challenges, NITDA collaborated with NACCIMA and GIZ, making it a joint effort rather than just a government initiative.
He said, “As you know, the President has been pushing for bold reforms in all economic sectors, including digital, through the Renewed Hope Initiative. This is part of that vision where the public and private sectors can work together on policies and regulations that build trust within the ecosystem. International organisations and development partners can also share best practices and support the effort.”
Abdullahi added that the Nigerian Digital Trustmark is designed to build trust in the digital ecosystem, where every company, e-commerce platform, and government organisation will have a trust seal mark on their website.
“This will ensure authenticity. Citizens can easily differentiate between cloned or fake websites and genuine ones. For instance, scammers often send messages posing as banks with fake websites that look identical. With the Trustmark, users will be able to identify authentic websites easily.”
He explained that the seal issuance process will be thorough, combining manual and online verification.
“We will verify your business identity, address, and other details through CAC and KYC checks before issuing the seal. The seal itself will also be verifiable — citizens can scan it to confirm authenticity,” he said.
Abdullahi also appealed to journalists to help enlighten citizens and amplify the initiative.
“You are the ones who will advocate for people to use trusted online platforms and help rebrand Nigeria’s image globally. When we address these issues locally, it will also improve our reputation internationally.”
He further lamented Nigeria’s ranking among the top five countries in cybercrime, alongside Ukraine, Russia, China, and the U.S., stressing that many of the bad actors are not Nigerians but foreigners using African IP addresses.
“Sometimes, foreigners are arrested in Nigeria committing these crimes. In other cases, Chinese actors buy African IP addresses to commit fraud, which then appears as if it originated from Africa. These are complex challenges we must solve together,” he added.
The President of NACCIMA, Alhaji Jani Ibrahim, represented by Sulaiman Adoga Ibrahim, Senior Adviser, underscored the importance of building a secure and transparent online environment that inspires confidence among customers, businesses, and investors alike.
“As the voice of the organised private sector, we see trust as the foundation for innovation and digital transformation. We therefore commend NITDA for this forward-looking effort and reaffirm our commitment to partnering with government to promote compliance and responsible digital practices across industries,” he said.
He stressed that the project opens new opportunities for MSMEs and larger enterprises to harness technology for competitiveness, inclusion, and sustainable growth.
“This is a demonstration of how effective public-private collaboration can accelerate Nigeria’s journey toward a trusted and globally recognised digital economy. Together, let us continue to build a digital Nigeria where innovation flourishes, businesses grow with integrity, and citizens engage with confidence and trust,” he said.
On his part, Barr. Chinda Albert, GIZ Consultant, expressed pride in supporting Nigeria’s quest to strengthen its global digital reputation.
“As the DG insightfully said, digital transformation in Nigeria is growing. The e-commerce sector was valued at about $13 billion in 2024, representing just 0.055 percent of the $27 trillion global e-commerce market. Trust deficit plays a huge role in this gap,” he said.
According to him, about 70 percent of Nigerians refuse to transact digitally due to fraud fears.
“Everyone has heard of ‘what I ordered versus what I received.’ In some cases, it’s even worse — ‘what I ordered versus I got nothing.’ This is why NITDA, in partnership with NACCIMA, is introducing the Digital Trustmark, and GIZ Nigeria is proud to support this initiative. We have done it in Rwanda, but the momentum in Nigeria is remarkable.”
He revealed that the idea began in June, fully commenced in August, and will be launched officially on October 17.
“This initiative aligns with the African Continental Digital Agreement, particularly the Digital Protocol, which calls on member states to establish mutually recognisable trust mechanisms. Nigeria’s Trustmark will improve MSME competitiveness at regional and global levels,” he added.