Nigeria's Data Breaches Soar 10x in Q3 2025, 566k Accounts Leaked

Nigeria's Cybersecurity Crisis Deepens as Breaches Multiply

A shocking new cybersecurity report has revealed that Nigeria is experiencing an alarming surge in data breaches, with the country ranking as the 16th most breached nation globally in the third quarter of 2025. According to research from cybersecurity firm Surfshark, Nigeria recorded 408,900 leaked accounts in Q3 2025 alone, contributing to a total of 566,300 breached accounts throughout the year.

AI Tools Fueling the Surge in Cyber Attacks

The dramatic increase in data breaches is being directly linked to the rising use of artificial intelligence by cybercriminals. Sarunas Sereika, Senior Product Manager at Surfshark, explained the dangerous shift: "The increase of AI tools means that even minor data breaches can now be leveraged at scale. Previously, exploiting leaked data required significant technical skill, but AI has lowered the barrier to entry, allowing malicious actors to rapidly analyse and weaponise even seemingly insignificant data."

Sereika emphasized that AI technology is transforming basic information like names, addresses, and preferences into powerful tools for highly personalized attacks against Nigerian internet users.

Nigeria's Troubling Trend Against Global Improvement

While the global picture shows some improvement in cybersecurity, Nigeria is moving in the opposite direction. Worldwide breach rates actually decreased by 22.3 per cent between the second and third quarters of 2025, dropping from 899 to 699 accounts breached every minute.

However, Nigeria experienced a tenfold increase in its breach rate during the same period, jumping from 0.3 to 3.2 breached accounts per minute. This alarming trend places Nigeria among the most vulnerable countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The long-term data reveals even more concerning statistics:

Nigeria ranks third in Sub-Saharan Africa for data breaches since 2004
23.7 million Nigerian user accounts have been compromised since 2004
7.6 million unique Nigerian email addresses have been breached
13.1 million passwords associated with Nigerian accounts have been leaked

Widespread Consequences for Nigerian Internet Users

The massive data breaches have put millions of Nigerians at serious risk of cybercrime. According to the Surfshark analysis, 55 per cent of breached users now face the danger of account takeover that could lead to identity theft, extortion, or other malicious activities.

Statistically, the report indicates that 10 out of every 100 Nigerians have already been affected by data breaches, highlighting the widespread nature of this cybersecurity threat.

Globally, Europe emerged as the most affected region in Q3 2025, accounting for one in every 2.3 breached accounts, with France alone representing 40 per cent of European breaches. North America followed with 17 per cent of global breaches (15.7 million), while Asia accounted for 15.6 per cent (14.1 million).

The ten most breached countries in Q3 2025 were: