Study of Internet of Things Device Usage and Security Practices in Smart Home Adopters in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory

The Internet of Things is penetrating Nigerian urban homes through smart televisions, IP cameras, smart meters, and voice assistant devices, creating new cybersecurity vulnerabilities among consumers who frequently lack awareness of device-level security requirements. This study examines IoT device adoption patterns and security practices among smart home users in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 220 urban households using IoT devices, recruited through purposive and snowball sampling across three residential districts. Questionnaire items assessed types and numbers of IoT devices owned, firmware update practices, network password management, default credential change rates, and awareness of device-level security risks. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis were computed in SPSS. Available IoT security literature from Nigerian urban contexts identifies failure to change default device passwords and infrequent firmware updates as the two most critical security vulnerabilities among home IoT users. The Protection Motivation Theory and Technology Acceptance Model provide the analytical framework. Findings reveal that 68 percent of respondents had never changed default device credentials, and 74 percent had never updated device firmware, despite 55 percent expressing general awareness of IoT security risks. The study recommends consumer IoT security awareness campaigns by the Nigerian Communications Commission, mandatory security labelling standards for IoT devices sold in Nigeria, and automatic firmware update features in locally distributed devices. Keywords: Internet of Things, smart home, security practices, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory.