Nigeria Records Highest Cyber-Attacks in Africa as Weekly Threats Hit 4,701 per Organisation

Nigerian organisations recorded the highest number of cyber-attacks in Africa in January 2026, averaging 4,701 attacks per organisation per week, according to the latest Global Threat Intelligence report by Check Point Research.

The figure represents a 12% year-on-year increase and a rise from 4,622 weekly attacks recorded in December 2025—highlighting intensifying cyber pressure on Africa’s largest economy.

The report shows that Nigeria not only leads the continent in attack volume among the four African countries surveyed but also significantly exceeds the continental average of 2,864 attacks per organisation per week.

What the Data Reveals

Globally, organisations faced an average of 2,090 cyber-attacks per week in January, marking a 3% increase from December and a 17% year-on-year rise.

“Among the four African countries included in the January insights, Nigeria had the highest number of attacks at 4,701 per organisation per week, a 12% YoY increase. This was up from 4,622 in December 2025,” the report stated.

Within Africa:

Angola recorded 4,512 weekly attacks per organisation (down 7% YoY)

Kenya saw 2,172 weekly attacks (down 41% YoY)

South Africa faced 2,145 weekly attacks (up 36% YoY)

While Africa overall recorded a 6% year-on-year decline in average attacks, the continental drop masks significant country-level disparities—particularly sharp increases in Nigeria and South Africa.

Government, Finance and Consumer Sectors Most Targeted

The most targeted sectors across Africa were:

Government

Financial Services

Consumer Goods and Services

These industries manage sensitive citizen data, financial transactions, and critical supply chains—making them prime targets for cybercriminals.

According to Ian van Rensburg, Head of Security Engineering for Africa at Check Point Software Technologies, the trend signals a shift in both scale and sophistication.

“January’s data shows that cyber-attacks are not only increasing but becoming more refined and opportunistic.”

He warned that as African organisations accelerate digital transformation, cybersecurity frameworks must evolve at the same pace.

“Unchecked GenAI usage is opening new blind spots for organisations. Prevention-first, real-time protection powered by AI is the only effective way to stop attacks before they cause operational or financial damage.”

Generative AI: A Growing Vulnerability

The report flagged rapid Generative AI adoption as an emerging security risk:

1 in every 30 GenAI prompts submitted from corporate networks in January posed significant data exposure risks

93% of organisations using GenAI tools were affected

Prompts frequently contained internal documents, personal identifiers, customer data, and proprietary source code

Organisations used an average of 10 different GenAI tools monthly, many outside formal governance structures

This fragmented and often unregulated usage increases the risk of accidental data leaks, ransomware infiltration, and AI-powered cyber-attacks—particularly in markets like Nigeria, where digital adoption is accelerating across banking, fintech, telecoms, and public services.

Global Sector Trends

Globally, the Education sector remained the most attacked industry, facing 4,364 weekly attacks per organisation (up 12% YoY).

Government entities followed with 2,759 weekly attacks, while Telecommunications ranked third with 2,647 attacks per week—reflecting mounting threats to connectivity infrastructure and emerging 5G ecosystems.

Nigeria’s Policy Response

The surge in cyber threats has drawn the attention of policymakers.

The Federal Government is preparing to roll out a new cybersecurity framework aimed at curbing AI-driven cyber-attacks on banks, businesses, and government institutions.

According to Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the framework—expected later this year—will require organisations operating in Nigeria to meet minimum cybersecurity spending thresholds.

He noted that many companies underinvest in cybersecurity due to the assumption that they are unlikely targets.

The proposed framework will also introduce:

Mandatory timelines for reporting data breaches

Structured threat intelligence sharing between public and private sectors

Coordinated response protocols for major cyber incidents

The Bigger Picture

Nigeria’s position at the top of Africa’s cyber-attack rankings underscores a paradox: as the country deepens digital adoption and expands its fintech, telecom, and public digital infrastructure, it becomes a more attractive target for increasingly sophisticated threat actors.

The numbers reflect not just higher exposure—but higher stakes.

As digital transformation accelerates, resilience—not just innovation—may determine which organisations survive the next wave of cyber disruption.