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Nigeria has officially become one of Africa’s top hotspots for ransomware threats, according to the 2024 Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report by INTERPOL. The country recorded 3,459 ransomware threat detections during that period, placing it third on the continent behind Egypt and South Africa.
Rising Threats & Key Stats
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Highly digitized economies are suffering most; Nigeria, with its large fintech and mobile money sectors, is particularly vulnerable.
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Threats are widespread: ransomware, online scams, business email compromise (BEC), and sextortion are amongst the top threats identified.
Why It’s Getting Worse
The digital expansion in Nigeria is outpacing security infrastructure. More businesses, more people online, more fintech and mobile money usage—but many organisations still lack proper cyber hygiene and incident response plans. Criminals are using increasingly sophisticated tools, and detection is rising alongside threat volume.
What Nigeria is Doing (and Needs to Do)
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Experts say tighter cybersecurity regulations are needed.
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Companies should invest in threat detection, incident response, backup and recovery.
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Public awareness and digital literacy must improve so everyday users aren’t easily victimised.
Bottom Line
Ranking 3rd for ransomware threat detections is no small matter. It means Nigeria must double down on cybersecurity investment and policy action. If it doesn’t, the costs—financial, reputational, and operational—will only increase.
