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Because “123456” won’t save your bank account or your JAMB login.
Every first Thursday of May is World Password Day, and while it may not come with gifts or jollof rice, it comes with something more critical: a reality check.
Let’s face it — many of us are still using passwords like “qwerty”, our date of birth, or “Abike123” across all our accounts. Whether it’s your social media, mobile banking, school portal, or even Netflix, your digital life is only as safe as your password.
Weak Passwords Are Still a Global Problem
In 2024, cybersecurity firm Nordpass released a report that revealed that “123456” was still the most common password used worldwide, followed closely by “admin” and “password”. These passwords can be cracked in less than a second using modern hacking tools.
And guess what? Hackers don’t even need to be brilliant these days. With AI and bots doing the dirty work, all it takes is one slip-up for your Facebook, GTBank app, or school portal to be compromised.
Seyi, a student at UNILAG, once used his girlfriend’s name “Amaka2022” for all his logins — including his Gmail and school portal. One day, someone tried logging into his school portal from a public cybercafé and guessed the password. His profile were tampered with.
That single breach caused him to miss out on a scholarship because his updated transcript never got sent.
Password Tips You Actually Need to Follow in 2025
Still reading? Good. Here’s how to level up your digital security:
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Ditch the predictable stuff: No birthdays, pet names, or “12345” combos.
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Use passphrases: Think “Waffles$ForBreakfast@Noon” – long, weird, and hard to guess. (Abeg no use am o)
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Unique password for each account: Your bank login shouldn’t share the same password as your X (Twitter) account.
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Use a password manager: Tools like Bitwarden, Nordpass, and 1Password help generate and store complex passwords. They’re safer than your notebook or phone’s Notes app.
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Enable 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication): Always. Whether it’s OTP via SMS or an authenticator app, this extra step can stop 99% of automated attacks.
🔮 What About the Password-Free Future?
Google and Apple are rolling out passkeys, using fingerprints or facial recognition instead of passwords. Great news, right?
But until those become mainstream everywhere (especially in systems used by Nigerian institutions), passwords are here to stay — and they need to be strong.
TL;DR – Let’s Not Be Lazy
World Password Day is your official excuse to stop being lazy with your passwords.
🔁 Change the weak ones.
🛡️ Use 2FA.
🔐 Get a password manager.
🚫 Never reuse passwords across accounts.Your future self (and your school admission or bank account) will thank you. If you do nothing else today, at least stop using your crush’s name + 123 as your password. 🙃
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