AI Driving Surge in Cybercrime Across Nigeria, Africa — Interpol Report
Artificial intelligence is fuelling a sharp rise in cybercrime across Africa, with Nigeria identified as both a major target and a source of sophisticated online attacks, according to Interpol’s African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026.
The report reveals that 55 percent of reported cybercrimes on the continent now involve artificial intelligence, enabling criminals to launch faster, more convincing and harder-to-detect attacks.
Interpol identified Nigeria, South Africa, South Sudan and Namibia as countries most affected by data breaches, while Nigeria also ranked among the nations with the highest ransomware activity alongside South Africa, Senegal, Zambia and Namibia.
The report highlights Business Email Compromise (BEC) as the financial backbone of transnational cybercrime, with West Africa emerging as the continent’s hotspot for such attacks.
According to Interpol, cybercriminals are increasingly using AI to craft highly convincing fraudulent emails that closely mimic the writing style, language and signatures of company executives, making scams more difficult to detect.
TrendAI data cited in the report shows that 29 percent of Business Email Compromise detections in 2025 originated from Nigeria, while 70 percent came from South Africa.
Interpol also said Nigeria has become a key hub for international money laundering networks, with criminal groups allegedly moving illicit funds through cryptocurrency exchanges, shell companies and mobile payment platforms.
The report further notes that Africa’s cryptocurrency economy recorded transactions worth 205 billion dollars between July 2024 and July 2025, with Nigeria accounting for approximately 92 billion dollars, making it an attractive target for crypto-related fraud.
Despite improvements in identity verification through Nigeria’s National Identification Number (NIN)-SIM linkage policy, Interpol warned that cybercriminals have adapted by using artificial intelligence to exploit weaknesses in Know Your Customer (KYC) processes and register SIM cards under false identities.
The report underscores the growing need for stronger cybersecurity measures, enhanced digital identity protection and greater international cooperation to combat AI-driven cyber threats across the continent.
