The National Information Technology Development Agency has warned Nigerians against sharing sensitive personal information with artificial intelligence platforms, saying data submitted to AI tools may end up outside users’ control.
NITDA issued the warning in an advisory titled “Advisory on the Safe Use of AI Platforms,” published on today, October 5, 2026, as Nigerians increasingly use AI tools for schoolwork, business, job applications, health questions and personal matters, The PUNCH reported.
The agency specifically cautioned users against sharing their National Identification Number, Bank Verification Number, bank details, photographs, medical results and sensitive information about family members with AI platforms.
It listed ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot and Meta AI among the AI chatbots and assistants being widely used by Nigerians.
According to NITDA, information entered into an AI platform may be retained, logged or used by the provider to train its AI models, meaning users may not have complete control over what happens to the information after it is submitted.
The agency also warned that personal information exposed through a data breach could be used for identity theft, impersonation or financial fraud.
NITDA further cautioned that AI-generated responses can appear confident even when they are inaccurate or outdated. It said users should therefore exercise caution when relying on AI-generated information for health, legal, financial or academic decisions.
To reduce the risks, NITDA advised users to remove, anonymise or pseudonymise personally identifiable and other sensitive information before entering prompts into AI tools.
It also urged Nigerians to review the privacy and data-handling terms of AI platforms before using them and not to upload internal documents unless they have specific authorisation.
For organisations, the agency recommended establishing AI governance policies that define approved tools, permitted use cases, data-handling rules and accountability for AI use.
NITDA also advised organisations and employees to comply with existing AI, information security and data protection policies when using AI platforms.
In a related message, the agency urged AI users to “think before you prompt” and verify information generated by AI before relying on it.
Members of the public seeking cybersecurity guidance or wishing to report incidents can contact NITDA’s Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team (CERRT) through cerrt@nitda.gov.ng.
