Artificial intelligence is accelerating cybercrime across Africa, with Nigeria emerging as one of the countries most affected by ransomware attacks, business email compromise (BEC), cryptocurrency fraud and data breaches, according to Interpol’s 2026 African Cyberthreat Assessment Report.
The 40-page report, released on Monday, found that artificial intelligence played a role in 55 percent of reported cybercrime incidents across the continent, enabling criminals to launch faster, more sophisticated and harder-to-detect attacks.
The assessment, based on survey responses from 36 African countries, examined cyberthreat trends between January 2024 and September 2025 and identified Nigeria among the countries facing significant cybercrime challenges.
According to Interpol, ransomware attacks remain one of the fastest-growing cyber threats across Africa, with cybercriminals increasingly targeting hospitals, public institutions, utility providers and government service platforms to maximise disruption and extort victims.
Data breaches were particularly common in Nigeria, South Africa, Namibia and South Sudan, while ransomware activity was also widespread in Senegal and Zambia.
TrendAI data cited in the report showed that Nigeria recorded 5,822 ransomware detections in 2025, placing it among the countries with the highest number of incidents on the continent.
The report noted that while Cabo Verde recorded the highest number of detections at 16,997, Nigeria’s figures reflected its growing position as both a target and an origin point for cybercriminal operations.
Interpol described Business Email Compromise (BEC) as the financial backbone of transnational cybercrime.
The scam typically involves criminals impersonating senior executives, suppliers or trusted business partners to deceive employees into transferring funds or releasing confidential information.
The report said artificial intelligence has significantly improved the effectiveness of such attacks by enabling cybercriminals to generate highly convincing emails that closely imitate writing styles, company terminology and executive signatures.
West Africa recorded the highest concentration of BEC incidents during the review period.
TrendAI data showed that South Africa accounted for 70 percent of BEC detections in 2025, while Nigeria accounted for 29 percent.
Interpol also identified Nigerian-based cybercriminal networks as playing an increasingly important role in international money laundering schemes since 2021, with illicit funds reportedly moved through cryptocurrency exchanges, shell companies and mobile payment platforms.
The report highlighted the rapid expansion of cryptocurrency across Africa, estimating that the continent processed $205 billion in cryptocurrency transactions between July 2024 and July 2025.
Nigeria alone accounted for approximately $92 billion of that transaction volume, making it one of Africa’s largest digital asset markets and an attractive target for cybercriminals involved in fraud and financial crime.
South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria were also listed among the African countries considered most vulnerable to data breaches.
Interpol acknowledged Nigeria’s efforts to improve digital identity verification through the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) policy requiring SIM cards to be linked to verified National Identification Numbers (NINs).
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While the report said the policy had reduced certain forms of fraud, it warned that cybercriminals had adapted by exploiting weaknesses in Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures.
According to Interpol, artificial intelligence is now being used to create false identities and facilitate fraudulent SIM card registrations, allowing criminals to bypass verification systems.
The report concludes that African governments, financial institutions and cybersecurity agencies face an increasingly complex challenge as criminal networks continue combining artificial intelligence with established cybercrime techniques to expand fraud, identity theft, extortion and digital financial crime.
