Nigeria’s ambition to build one of Africa’s largest digital economies is faced with a growing test as a wave of cyberattacks targeting banks, fintechs, government agencies, and digital platforms exposes vulnerabilities across the country’s expanding online ecosystem.
Over the past several months, allegations of data breaches involving payment processor Remita, Sterling Bank, and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) have raised fresh concerns about the resilience of Nigeria’s digital infrastructure and the security of millions of personal and corporate records.
The incidents arrive at a pivotal moment for the country where digital payments, online banking, e-commerce, fintech services, and government portals have become central to economic activity, increasing Nigeria’s transition toward a technology-driven economy.
As adoption grows, so does the attack surface available to increasingly sophisticated cybercriminals.
According to Surfshark, a cybersecurity company, Nigeria recorded approximately 281,500 leaked user accounts in the first quarter of 2026 alone, ranking the country as the 34th most breached globally.
