In the digital age, Nigeria—already Africa’s business and technology hub—has found itself at an unexpected crossroads. The country now leads a worrying trend: the sharpest rise in cyberattacks on the continent. With its booming online economy and growing digital footprint, Nigeria has become a prime target for hackers worldwide, and it’s now time for us to take note.
Table of Contents
A Disturbing Trend of Cyberattacks Emerges
Recent data from Check Point Research paints a chilling picture: in the second quarter of 2025, cyberattacks worldwide surged by 21 per cent. Africa topped the chart, averaging 3,365 weekly cyberattacks per organisation, up 14% year-on-year.
Within Africa, Nigeria stood out with a staggering 5,616 weekly attacks per organisation, marking a massive 113% increase compared to last year.
Back in January 2025, Nigeria had climbed to 11th place among Africa’s most targeted countries—up from 14th in August 2024. That ranking put the nation among the top eight African countries in the Global Threat Index.
Just to make this real: that rise represents thousands of malicious attempts every week, each one potentially breaching a bank, university, government office, or telecom tower.
Who Is Being Hit, and How?
Nigeria isn’t just experiencing more attacks—it’s also seeing a widening range of targets. The most hit sectors are:
- Education: Almost 4,400 weekly attacks per organisation, 31 % higher year-on-year.
- Government: Like education, the public sector saw serious pressure with 2,632 weekly attempts (+ 26 %).
- Telecoms: With 2,612 weekly attacks, the sector incurred a + 38 % jump.
FakeUpdates—malware disguised as system or app updates—remains a common trick. It can install info stealers, crypto-drainers, or even remote-access trojans on unsuspecting users’ devices. Tens of thousands of Nigerian bank customers, for instance, lost billions of naira to such cyber-fraud, while some institutions lost as much as $3 million from major trojan attacks.
The financial sector is particularly exposed. Nigeria’s banks face around 4,718 weekly cyberattacks—a reflection both of their critical role and hacking interest in them.
On a national scale, cyber-fraud cost Nigeria an estimated $706 million in 2022, with banks taking a chunk of that through direct loss.
The AI Factor: A Digital Arms Race
Cybercriminals aren’t just increasing in number—they’re evolving fast. AI tools have enabled them to automate attacks, craft personalised phishing emails, and discover vulnerabilities at scale.
In 2024, over 50% of AI-crafted phishing messages succeeded in duping targets—a major step-up from conventional scams.
With AI in their toolkit, attackers are becoming faster and more precise. Meanwhile, Nigeria has responded with a record-high 33 cyberattack advisories in a year, even as institutions urged businesses to adopt AI-powered, proactive defences to stay ahead.
International Crackdowns Offer Silver Linings
Nigeria isn’t alone in this fight. On a continent-wide scale, INTERPOL’s Operation Serengeti, coordinated with Afripol in late 2024, smashed networks across 19 African countries. That operation resulted in 1,006 arrests, including cybercrime outfits in Nigeria, and uncovered nearly $193 million in losses.
Meanwhile, another initiative led to over 300 arrests, including 130 in Nigeria, as authorities cracked down on investment scams and mobile fraud networks from November 2024 to early 2025.
These joint interventions demonstrate that collaboration across borders can deliver results, and they’re a model we should build on.
Why Nigeria? A Double-Edged Sword
You may wonder why Nigeria, more than other African nations, is so vulnerable. There are several reasons:
- Rapid Digital Growth: More internet users, e-banks, fintech solutions—great for growth, but widening the attack surface.
- Cybercrime-as-a-Service: Tools and infrastructure for cyberattacks are now available on the dark web, accessible even to less-skilled criminals.
- Underfunded Defences: African companies invest just 0.05% of revenue into cybersecurity, compared to a global average of 0.3–0.5%.
- Sophistication of Attacks: Nigerian attacks involve complex DDoS methods—like combining TCP, DNS amplification, and CLDAP—in single incidents.
Nigeria’s Cyber-Readiness: Not All Doom and Gloom
Despite the threat landscape, Nigeria has strengths. On the Global Cybersecurity Index 2024, it scored 82.4, placing it in the upper tier (T3) in Africa—a sign of concrete efforts across policy, technical frameworks, and capacity building.
Further, according to a KnowBe4-sponsored assessment, Nigeria ranks second in cybersecurity readiness in Africa at 75%, just behind Kenya at 76%, and ahead of Ghana at 74%.
Additionally, home-grown initiatives—from cybersecurity awareness campaigns to strong partnerships—are emerging across the tech landscape.
What Must Be Done? A Path Forward
To counter this surge, Nigeria must act decisively on multiple fronts:
- Legislation & Regulation: Update the Cybercrimes Act to address AI-based threats and mandate stronger cybersecurity for critical sectors.
- National Cyber Command Centre: Establish a central body for real-time monitoring and incident response coordination.
- Public-Private Collaboration: Banks, telecoms, and government must share threat intelligence and invest collectively.
- Capacity Building: Train more cybersecurity professionals, promote ethical hacking contests, and enhance workforce readiness.
- Public Awareness: Educate citizens about threats like FakeUpdates, phishing, MFA, and safe software practices.
- Advanced Tools: Adopt AI-driven threat detection, endpoint response, zero-trust models, secure firmware, and backup strategies.
- International Cooperation: Sustain partnerships with INTERPOL, Afripol, ECOWAS, and cybersecurity firms for coordinated action.
Above all, cybersecurity must be treated not as an optional add-on but as an essential pillar of national development.
Conclusion
Nigeria’s position as Africa’s digital powerhouse has come with immense promise—but also heightened risk. With thousands of cyber threats hitting organisations weekly, the nation faces an urgent cybersecurity challenge.
Yet, with growing awareness, rising readiness scores, and strengthening partnerships, there’s reason for cautious optimism. By investing boldly in technology, regulations, education, and collective defence, Nigeria can protect its digital future.
The time to act is now.
Join Our Social Media Channels:
WhatsApp: NaijaEyes
Facebook: NaijaEyes
Twitter: NaijaEyes
Instagram: NaijaEyes
TikTok: NaijaEyes
