Invisible intrusions, internal threats and ethical vulnerabilities in Nigeria’s internet of things

The rapid adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) in Nigeria presents both opportunity and risk. While technological advancements in IoT promise improved system efficiency, service delivery and connectivity, the broader socio-ethical landscape marked by institutional corruption and weak digital accountability threatens the security of these systems. This commentary critically examines how internal vulnerabilities often compromise IoT Security across key sectors such as healthcare, finance, energy and governance. Drawing from interdisciplinary literature and real-world institutional dynamics, it argues that lasting security of digital infrastructure will not emerge from technical solutions alone but only from a generational shift one grounded in values, ethics, and institutional integrity. It concludes by proposing uncompromising human-centered interventions such as asset forfeiture, mandatory audits, compulsory digital ethics education, aggressive enforcement, lifetime disqualification, and criminal prosecution of complicit actors as necessary conditions for securing Nigeria’s IoT infrastructure. Without addressing the human factors behind system compromise, IoT security efforts may remain fundamentally incomplete.