The Nigerian government has prohibited the use of personal email accounts, including Yahoo Mail and other public email services, for official public-sector communications, in a move aimed at strengthening cybersecurity and safeguarding sensitive government information.
The directive mandates all civil servants and public institutions to discontinue the use of personal email addresses for official transactions and migrate to secure, institutionally managed digital platforms approved by the Federal Government.
The policy is part of broader efforts to modernise public administration, tighten data protection measures, and reduce the risk of cyberattacks, data breaches and unauthorised access to official government correspondence.
Authorities said the transition to official government-managed email systems is expected to improve accountability, enhance the security of public records, and align Nigeria’s public service with international standards for digital governance.
The government has directed ministries, departments and agencies to ensure full compliance with the new policy as implementation begins across the public sector.
