Artificial intelligence was sold to the world as a tool of progress-a marvel to transform economies, medicine, transport, governance. But in Nigeria today, it is increasingly being used as a weapon of deception, fraud, and manipulation. This isn’t futuristic fear-mongering. It is a real, documented crisis playing out on our phones, social feeds, and corporate accounts and the cost is already enormous.
Look at the headlines: AI-driven scams are not hypothetical. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has formally warned Nigerians about fraudulent trading platforms using deepfake celebrity endorsements and AI-generated content to lure investors with promises of unrealistic profits scams masquerading as golden opportunities on Facebook, Instagram and Telegram.
Regulators like the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) have had to publicly debunk fake AI advertisements featuring President Bola Ahmed Tinubu designed to promote Ponzi schemes aimed at defrauding unsuspecting citizens.
And it is not only about money. Deepfake technology-enabled by AI-has been used to create viral political deceptions. A fabricated video falsely linking public figures to incendiary comments ahead of the on-coming general elections spread rapidly on social media, threatening to inflame political tensions in an already volatile environment. Another case saw a distorted video clip showing Nigerian Army personnel in Benue framed to mislead and provoke outrage, only debunked after fact-checking. Even respected professionals like Dr. Florence Ajimobi-had to issue official statements after AI-generated clips circulated misattributing statements to them.
This technological menace is layered atop conventional cybercrime: Nigerian police recently arrested suspects for large-scale digital impersonation, identity theft, and online fraud involving hacked WhatsApp accounts and extortion. And courts in Lagos are currently processing hundreds of individuals accused of involvement in cryptocurrency and romance scams-many deployed using sophisticated digital tactics, including identity cloning.
These are not isolated anecdotes. Microsoft reports that AI-enhanced phishing and impersonation campaigns have caused hundreds of millions of dollars in losses across Africa, with tens of thousands of victims. Interpol and cybersecurity analysts warn that scam reports have surged exponentially, fueled by cheap and accessible AI tools.
The danger is not just financial. It is existential. AI-generated content that mimics voices and faces cheapen trust. When your neighbor can credibly be portrayed saying or doing something they never did; when videos inciting violence masquerade as truth; when election narratives can be shaped in seconds by synthetic bots then society itself begins to crack.
And Nigeria is particularly vulnerable. Digital literacy remains low, verification skills are uneven, and legal frameworks-like the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act-have significant gaps in addressing synthetic media and generative AI threats.
So what must be done?
- Update Nigeria’s laws now. Cybercrime statutes must explicitly criminalize the creation, distribution, and malicious use of AI-generated deepfakes, voice clones, and synthetic identities-with clear penalties and enforcement mechanisms.
- Mandate transparency on platforms. Social media companies operating here must be required to label AI-generated content and deploy rapid takedown systems for harmful material-not optional corporate goodwill.
- Equip law enforcement with tools and skills. Nigeria’s police and cybersecurity agencies must be resourced with modern digital forensics, AI detection tools, and international cooperation agreements to trace and prosecute offenders effectively.
- Educate citizens at scale. Digital literacy campaigns must teach Nigerians how to spot manipulated media and verify sources before sharing-from classrooms to community centers.
- Private sector must step up. Nigerian banks, telecoms, and online platforms should invest in AI-driven fraud detection-because the same technology that empowers fraudsters can also protect users.
AI is not inherently bad. It can revolutionize agriculture, healthcare, and governance. But when unregulated and misused, it becomes a synthetic crime machine, churning out deception far faster than we can respond.
If Nigeria continues to ignore this digital wildfire, we won’t just lose money-we will lose trust in one another, in our institutions, and in the very information that binds society together.
The future with AI doesn’t have to be dark. But the window to secure it is closing-and the time to act is now.
Senior Reporter/Editor
Bio: Ugochukwu is a freelance journalist and Editor at AIbase.ng, with a strong professional focus on investigative reporting. He holds a degree in Mass Communication and brings extensive experience in news gathering, reporting, and editorial writing. With over a decade of active engagement across diverse news sources, he contributes in-depth analytical, practical, and expository articles that explore artificial intelligence and its real-world impact. His seasoned newsroom experience and well-established information networks provide AIbase.ng with credible, timely, and high-quality coverage of emerging AI developments.