Advisory ID: NCC-CSIRT-2026-037
Summary:
The NCC-CSIRT wishes to alert the Nigerian Telecommunications Service Providers to reports of Russian-linked disinformation and influence campaigns targeting Africa's information space. According to an alert conveyed by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), an assessment by Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) identified at least 80 such campaigns in 2024 affecting over 22 African countries, including Nigeria. The campaigns reportedly use local influencers and digital content creators to spread foreign-backed narratives while concealing their origins. Telecom Service Providers are advised to strengthen monitoring, report suspicious activities promptly, and remain vigilant against information manipulation and related cyber threats.
Damage: High
Probability: High
Product (s): Not Applicable (N/A)
Version (s): Not Applicable (N/A)
Platform (s): Telecommunications Networks and Internet-Facing Information Systems
Description:
The NCC-CSIRT wishes to draw the attention of Nigerian Telecommunications Service Providers to reports of Russian-linked disinformation campaigns targeting Africa's information space.
According to a 1 July 2026 CIPESA assessment, at least 80 Russian-linked disinformation campaigns targeted over 22 African countries in 2024. Nigeria was identified among the affected countries, alongside Kenya, Ethiopia, and Ghana.
The campaigns reportedly leverage local influencers, bloggers, journalists, activists, content creators, online platforms, and other actors to disseminate narratives while concealing foreign sponsorship. They may also utilize social media accounts, Telegram channels, web portals, and other digital infrastructure, including AI-generated and manipulated content.
Given the approaching electoral cycle and the growing reliance on digital platforms for information dissemination, heightened vigilance is advised. While no specific technical Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) have been provided, Telecom Service Providers should focus on monitoring, evidence preservation, and timely reporting of suspicious activities.
Consequences:
Potential consequences associated with foreign information manipulation and disinformation campaigns may include:
- Potential impact on Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), telecommunications services, and associated online platforms or resources.
- Reputational and operational impact on service providers.
- Manipulation of public perception and loss of trust in institutions.
- Increased exposure to phishing, fraud, impersonation, and other cyber threats.
- Spread of false or AI-generated information, potentially causing social tension and disruption.
Threat Types:
- Potential Election-Related Information Manipulation
- Coordinated Cyber-Enabled Influence Activity
- Foreign Information Manipulation and Influence (FIMI)
- Disinformation Campaigns
- Coordinated Inauthentic Behaviour
- Social Engineering and Influence Operations
- AI-Generated and Manipulated Content
- Malicious Online Infrastructure
- Abuse of Telecommunications Resources
Solutions/Mitigations:
NCC-CSIRT encourages telecommunications service providers to:
- Enhance monitoring of networks, Internet-facing systems, and security telemetry to detect suspicious activities.
- Maintain accurate asset inventories of critical network infrastructure and Internet-facing resources.
- Strengthen detection capabilities for phishing, impersonation, social engineering, deceptive content, and suspicious online infrastructure.
- Preserve logs and evidence related to suspicious activities in line with legal and regulatory requirements.
- Leverage threat intelligence from NCC-CSIRT and other trusted authorities to support analysis and response.
- Improve coordination and information sharing among SOC, NCC-CSIRT, fraud management, and network operations teams for timely threat detection and response.
References:
Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF): “Pan African Non-Governmental Organization Warns of Russian-Linked Disinformation Campaigns on Africa’s Information Space.”