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Exclusive Networks Africa Opens Office in Nigeria

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Exclusive Networks Africa, which represents the continental arm of this global, trusted cyber security specialist for digital infrastructure, is continuing its expansion into Africa, building presence within the sub-Saharan region in recent months, including the opening of a formal office in Lagos, Nigeria. This adds to the existing offices in South Africa, Kenya and Mauritius.

Because Africa is seen as a growth market by the group, it is widely recognised as an important investment destination, allowing for a strong focus on the company’s vendor partners, both current as well as potential.

This is according to Anton Jacobsz, Managing Director of Exclusive Networks Africa, who clarifies: “Having previously operated in a number of countries across Africa with the support of representatives there, as well as from Head Office in Centurion, Gauteng wherever required, the company was very pleased recently to extend its footprint more formally with increased resources on the ground in Uganda, Madagascar and Nigeria.

“This is in line with our vision to become a pan-African cyber security specialist and upgrade our regional presences with formal offices in every country within which we operate.”

As the African entity of a global company that is listed on the Paris stock exchange, Euronext Paris, the Ugandan and Madagascan employees were appointed, and the Nigerian branch established, following extensive due diligence which evaluated current and future business trends in the central African, Indian Ocean Islands and West African areas respectively.

“Our business has been doing extremely well this year,” says Jacobsz, “with significant growth and very pleasing recent financial results. The branch in Lagos, Nigeria will be able to service the growing West African market in a consolidated manner.

As part of the growth strategy across the continent, it was decided that opening a dedicated branch in Lagos made business sense due to its geographical location and position in the heart of the thriving West African region.

“Having been operational in Nigeria for some five years already, we were really pleased to be able to register a formal entity and open up Exclusive Networks Nigeria. The office has been set up and the new team members have moved in. This bodes very well for our expansion plans across Africa.”

In its quest to become a significant presence across the key areas in Africa, Jacobsz explains that Exclusive Networks Africa’s approach involves identifying the key growth regions.

“We’ll start by putting feet on the ground to service those regions, with the team developing the channel and servicing the market,” he explains. “Thereafter the goal is to have in-country offices, with the ultimate vision being to open a branch across every country in Africa that we service, across the vast majority of the continent.”

Jacobsz believes that countries across the continent should be willing and enabled to tap into each other’s markets in order to grow businesses and, accordingly, profits, to the greater economic benefit of the entire region.

“Put very simply, we in Africa, across different countries and regions, need to start interacting with each other intra-country and across borders in the same the way that business entities across Europe interact with each other across regions,” he notes.

Jacobsz adds that the strategy includes distinct elements, such as the growth of existing vendors across existing markets; existing vendors into new potential markets; onboarding new vendors, and finally services.

“The Exclusive Networks Africa services business is a very strong enabler for territories where partners are unable to invest heavily in their own resources, and our footprint across the continent can relieve a great deal of business pressure,” he says.

“We offer access to 43 countries on the continent where Exclusive Networks has the footprint, and the ability, to be the partner of choice in taking away the burden of administrative issues such as import functionality, handling of VAT, service operations and so on.

“At Exclusive Networks, we proudly offer market-leading brands across the cyber security sphere and differentiate ourselves further with our world class service. We are excited to see our presence in these areas consolidated and look forward to growing our presence in additional targeted countries, in a ‘hub-and-spoke’ relationship, in due course,” Jacobsz concludes.


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Kaspersky Reports Nearly 900m Phishing Attempts in 2024 as Cyber threats Increase

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Kaspersky’s security solutions blocked over 893 million phishing attempts in 2024 – a 26% increase from 2023, when the total stood at nearly 710 million.

The surge in attempts (shown in the graph below) between May-July is traditionally tied to the international holiday season when fraudsters frequently try to lure travelers with scams involving fake airline and hotel bookings, deceptive tour packages and too-good-to-be-true offers.

Experts observed a range of phishing and scam schemes aimed at stealing data, money and installing malicious software. In 2024, cybercriminals often mimicked the websites of well-known brands like Booking.com, Airbnb, TikTok, Telegram, and others. One ongoing campaign, for example, has been targeting TikTok Shop users.

Cybercriminals created fake login pages designed to steal sellers’ credentials. Additionally, scammers capitalised on trending news, orchestrating fraud schemes involving the hype topics, for example cryptocurrency game Hamster Kombat and TON wallets.

Fraudulent schemes also tended to capitalise on fake celebrity images in 2024, falsely promoting giveaways of valuable prizes to fans that were never delivered. The trend persists in 2025.

“While the core mechanics of phishing and scams remain unchanged, attackers constantly refine their disguises. They capitalise on trending news, hype-driven topics, and even combine branding from multiple companies on a single phishing page to enhance efficiencies of their campaigns.

“AI-driven tools help them to create highly convincing fake websites, making fraud harder to detect. These evolving tactics pose a growing risk – not just to financial security but also to personal identity protection. As a result, vigilance and the use of robust cybersecurity solutions have never been more crucial,” says Olga Svistunova, a security expert at Kaspersky.

Spam and malicious email campaigns

According to Kaspersky data, both individuals and corporate users encountered malicious email attachments more than 125 million times in 2024.

Cybercriminals used various tactics in email campaigns targeting businesses, as observed by experts. These included sending emails with password-protected archives containing malicious content and SVG images disguised as harmless graphics, and many other schemes. Attackers lured victims into clicking on malicious content through fake court appeals, fake deals, counterfeit official notifications and more.

Nearly every second email in a corporate mailbox – 47% of global traffic, marking a 1.27 percentage point increase from the previous year – was spam. South African users encountered 20% more malicious emails in comparison to the previous year.

While spam includes different email threats, including those mentioned above, it is not always malicious and consists mostly of unsolicited advertisements.

Experts note that corporate spam trends of the last year prominently feature advertisements for AI solutions, related webinars, online promotion services, follower-boosting schemes and more.

 


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Group Applauds Nigeria’s AI Push, Urges Seizure of $15Bn Digital Economy Opportunity

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Nigeria’s growing investment in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital transformation is positioning the country as one of Africa’s most ambitious tech-driven economies, with AI projected to contribute $15 billion to Nigeria’s economy by 2030.

As global technology companies deepen their focus on Africa, Young Professionals for Tinubu (YP4T) has acknowledged the deliberate policy moves by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to ensure AI becomes a real driver of economic growth, job creation, and youth empowerment.

Following the President’s high-level discussions with global technology leaders, including his recent meeting with Google CEO Sundar Pichai, there is increasing recognition that Nigeria is taking active steps to secure its place in the global AI economy. But beyond diplomatic engagements, the administration has backed its vision with tangible programs that are already making an impact.

The 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative has already begun producing a pipeline of AI-trained professionals, while the National AI Strategy Framework has laid the groundwork for AI integration across finance, agriculture, healthcare, and education.

The administration’s efforts to attract investment into Nigeria’s AI and technology ecosystem have also led to direct support for startups and digital enterprises, ensuring young Nigerians have access to the resources and capital necessary to innovate and compete internationally.

Global partnerships with companies such as Microsoft, Meta, and Nvidia have further reinforced Nigeria’s commitment to AI as a pillar for economic transformation.

“AI is no longer a theoretical concept—it is a defining force in global economies, and Nigeria is now actively securing its place in that future,” said Victor Benjamin, West/South South Director of YP4T.

“For years, young Nigerians have sought opportunities in technology and digital innovation. What we are seeing now is a deliberate effort by the administration to turn that aspiration into reality through strategic policies, funding, and industry collaboration.

“This is a critical time for Nigerian professionals and businesses to position themselves in the AI-driven economy.”

While many African economies continue to grapple with integrating AI and digital transformation into their long-term growth plans, Nigeria’s current trajectory signals a shift toward becoming a leader in AI adoption and development.

The impact of AI is already being felt in precision agriculture, AI-driven financial inclusion, digital healthcare, and education technology, demonstrating how these investments are directly improving productivity, economic diversification, and access to essential services.

However, experts warn that Nigeria must sustain these efforts to fully unlock the potential of AI-driven growth. With a youth population expected to exceed 100 million by 2050, ensuring that young professionals have the skills, tools, and infrastructure to build AI-powered solutions is key to job creation and economic stability.

“As a network of young professionals actively engaged in shaping Nigeria’s future, we see these investments as fundamental to building a globally competitive workforce,” continued Benjamin.

“This is not just about innovation; this is about securing economic opportunities for millions of young Nigerians. AI and digital transformation must be central to Nigeria’s long-term growth strategy, and every young Nigerian should be paying attention to these opportunities.”

With AI projected to add billions to Nigeria’s GDP in the coming years, industry stakeholders, government institutions, and the private sector must work together to ensure these initiatives translate into real economic gains.

As Nigeria continues to attract international AI investment, YP4T remains committed to mobilizing young Nigerians to engage, innovate, and lead in this digital revolution.


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Microsoft Plans $1m Investment to Train One Million Nigerians in AI Innovation

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Microsoft has announced a $1 million initiative to train one million Nigerians in artificial intelligence (AI) over the next two years.

Microsoft Plans $1m Investment to Train One Million Nigerians in AI Innovation

Ola Williams, country manager for Microsoft Nigeria and Ghana, announced on Wednesday during the Microsoft AI Tour in Lagos.

“I am so delighted to announce that as Microsoft in Nigeria, we will be investing one million dollars in the next two years to empower one million Nigerians with AI tools,” Williams said.

She said the initiative aims to equip Nigerians with AI skills to help them build solutions, establish businesses, and compete globally.

“This is a significant investment in our drive to ensure that everyone has access to the right skills required not just to use AI but to build solutions on AI, build businesses on AI that will be a sustainable means of livelihood for Nigerians and give Nigerian youths the opportunity to compete globally with their counterparts,” she added.

The announcement comes on the heels of a partnership between the federal government and Google to advance AI and digital innovation in the country.

The presidency described the partnership as a major step toward strengthening Nigeria’s digital economy and expressed commitment to ensuring technological transformation translates into real benefits for businesses and citizens.


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