The Federal Ministry of Education has dismissed reports alleging that the Nigeria Education Management Information System (NEMIS) was compromised by hackers, saying the platform remains secure and fully operational.
The clarification followed a media report suggesting that the Federal Government’s education data platform may have been targeted by a cyberattack.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the ministry’s spokesperson, Folasade Boriowo, the report was described as misleading and not reflective of what actually occurred.
“The Ministry wishes to categorically state that the report is inaccurate and misleading. At no time was the NEMIS platform hacked, breached, or subjected to any cyberattack. The integrity, confidentiality, and availability of data on the platform remain fully intact.”
The ministry explained that the concern arose from a technical issue involving the platform’s SSL certificate, which triggered warning notifications for some users. It stressed that the incident was unrelated to hacking or any form of unauthorised intrusion.
“The incident was purely technical in nature and did not involve any unauthorised access to the system, data loss, data alteration, or exposure of sensitive information.”
According to the statement, the issue was quickly addressed through collaboration between the ministry’s technical personnel and the hosting provider, restoring normal service without affecting data security.
“Upon identification of the issue, the Ministry’s technical team, working in collaboration with the hosting service provider, promptly resolved the matter and restored normal service operations. The platform remains fully functional, secure, and accessible to all authorised users.”
The ministry also cautioned against interpreting SSL-related browser alerts as proof of a cyberattack, noting that such warnings can result from routine configuration problems.
“It is important to note that browser security warnings or SSL certificate-related alerts do not, in themselves, constitute evidence of a cyberattack or data breach.”
Reaffirming confidence in the system, the ministry said NEMIS continues to serve as a critical tool for education data management nationwide. It added that regular monitoring, infrastructure protections and security reviews remain in place to safeguard the platform.
The ministry further urged journalists and members of the public to verify information through official channels before circulating reports capable of undermining trust in government digital infrastructure.