By Oluwole Asalu

The rapid evolution of artifi­cial intelligence has reached a new inflection point.

Once celebrated merely for automating workflows and powering recommendation engines, AI has now morphed into something much more dynamic and potentially disruptive: autonomous agents.

These AI agents, capable of plan­ning, reasoning, and executing com­plex multi-step tasks, represent a quantum leap in capability. However, while their commercial applications in productivity and enterprise oper­ations are promising, an emerging and alarming reality is beginning to crystallise.

These same agents could soon be­come the preferred tools of cyber­criminals.

An Emerging Threat

Recent global research has revealed the stark trajectory of this threat.

AI agents are already being trained to hijack systems, steal data, and evade detection, often with a speed and precision that far exceeds human capacity.

While widespread deployment by threat actors is not yet confirmed, early incidents, including tests run by researchers at Anthropic and honey­pots built by Palisade Research, show that the foundational capabilities for agent-led cyberattacks already exist.

As we learned from the broader cybersecurity landscape, it is not a question of if, but when.

For Nigeria, this warning must not be taken lightly. As our digital econ­omy continues to expand and more businesses, government institutions, and SMEs move operations online, the attack surface broadens.

With our youthful population rap­idly adopting digital tools and local innovation attracting global atten­tion, Nigeria is inadvertently be­coming a more attractive target for sophisticated cyber exploits. In this evolving landscape, AI-driven threats could become our Achilles’ heel if we fail to act swiftly and strategically.

What makes AI agents particularly dangerous is their scalability.

AI agents can act independently unlike traditional cyber threats that rely on human hackers executing scripts.

They can identify targets, adapt their methods based on defences en­countered, and replicate successful attacks at scale, all without fatigue, emotion, or delay.

For malicious actors, they are cheaper, faster, and more efficient than human operatives. Ransom­ware attacks, phishing campaigns, and data breaches can be launched with unprecedented frequency and success rates.

For Nigerian businesses and gov­ernment agencies, this represents a dual challenge.

On the one hand, there is the need to maintain and strengthen conven­tional cybersecurity protocols such as firewalls, intrusion detection sys­tems, and regular audits.

On the other hand, a new layer of defence must be built to anticipate and combat AI-led intrusions. It is no longer enough to patch known vul­nerabilities.

We must now prepare to identify and respond to intelligent adversaries capable of evolving in real time.

Quomodo Systems Africa has long championed proactive digital resil­ience.

Our philosophy is that cybersecu­rity should not be reactive.

The rise of AI agents underscores this belief. We are currently investing in next-generation threat intelligence capabilities, integrating AI into our own systems not just to detect threats, but to predict them.

Our mission is clear: to ensure that the same technology powering the fu­ture of business does not become its undoing.

National Strategy Needed

Encouragingly, research institu­tions abroad are showing the way.

Palisade Research’s LLM Agent Honeypot project, which has already detected experimental AI agents prob­ing for vulnerabilities, is a strong example of how we must engage the enemy on its own terms.

We must replicate such innovations here in Nigeria. There is a compelling opportunity for our universities, cy­bersecurity firms, and government agencies to co-invest in AI-centred cy­ber defence infrastructure, much like we co-developed solutions during the rise of e-commerce fraud years ago.

Moreover, we must begin to use AI agents defensively. One of the most overlooked findings from global re­search is that if a well-trained AI agent cannot exploit a system, it is unlikely that any other similar agent can.

This is where our R&D efforts should be concentrated, building AI-based penetration testing tools that mimic hostile agents to expose weak­nesses before bad actors do.

Equally important is cultivating awareness. We need a shift in mind­set among Nigerian CEOs, CIOs, and IT managers.

Many still view AI as a business efficiency tool, not a security risk.

But, the threats posed by agentic AI demand boardroom attention. It is time to move cybersecurity from the basement to the boardroom. An­nual risk audits must now include AI threat preparedness. Staff must be trained to detect the behavioural patterns of AI-led breaches.

Regulatory agencies must revise compliance frameworks to accommo­date this new category of risk.

At a national level, this moment calls for a renewed cybersecurity doctrine. We must embed agentic AI considerations into the upcoming re­visions of Nigeria’s National Cyber­security Policy.

Investment in domestic AI research must be scaled up, not only for inno­vation but also for protection. And we must expand international coop­eration, particularly with countries already developing early-warning systems against AI-led threats.

There is also an urgent need to es­tablish national benchmarks for AI vulnerability testing.

As seen in the United States, where AI agents were able to exploit up to 25 percent of unpatched vulnerabilities after being given a simple descrip­tion, structured evaluation protocols can help us assess the readiness of critical systems. Nigeria cannot af­ford to be caught off guard.

To be clear, AI is not the enemy. It is a tool, and like all tools, it depends on how it is used. But to ignore the rise of autonomous threats is to invite a future in which our digital growth is sabotaged from within. Nigeria has the opportunity to not only defend itself but to lead the continent in AI-informed cybersecurity strategies.

Quomodo Systems Africa is com­mitted to this cause. We will continue to build solutions that detect, defend, and ultimately outsmart the threats of tomorrow. The digital economy is our collective future. It deserves noth­ing less than our fullest protection.

• Oluwole Asalu is the Founder and CEO of Quomodo Systems Africa, a thought leader dedicated to advancing Nigeria’s ICT ecosystem and fostering innovation across the continent.