Nigeria, Oct. 22 -- Nigeria has, in recent years, become one of Africa's digital payments powerhouses. Mobile banking apps, fintech platforms and USSD services have made financial transactions faster, easier, and more accessible to millions of people.

According to the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), electronic payments in the country touched N600 trillion in 2023, more than a half higher than the N387 trillion reported for the previous year - a staggering leap that reflects the scope of the penetration of digital finance in everyday life.

Yet, alongside this success lies an evolving crisis. Cybercriminals are exploiting weak systems, lax regulations and limited consumer awareness to perpetrate increasingly sophisticated fr...