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Networks Unlimited Partners Netskope to Drive Cloud Security Across Africa

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African value-added distributor Networks Unlimited has announced a partnership agreement with Netskope, a US-based cloud, data and network security provider, and a leader in the application of the Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) and Cloud Access Security Brokerage (CASB), also known as Cloud Security Gateway.

The agreement came into effect in early November, after an exhaustive search was conducted by Networks Unlimited for a partner in this specific market.

Stefan van de Giessen, Cybersecurity General Manager at Networks Unlimited, says: “We are extremely pleased to announce this new partnership with Netskope, which will be effective throughout Africa and allow the two companies to partner together to bring a leader in the SASE space to the local market.

“We investigated multiple cloud vendors to supplement our security strategy, and were delighted with the decision to partner with Netskope, based on many different factors.

“Netskope takes a data-centric approach to cloud security, protecting data and users everywhere. Networks Unlimited Africa is a highly focused distributor and we bolster this with our professional services. All of our products are highly rated by Gartner, and so too is Netskope – as such, it fits our business profile perfectly.”

SASE is a network architecture that combines software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) with security into a set of services delivered via the cloud.

Security policies enforced on user sessions are tailored based on four factors: the identity of the entity connecting; context (health and behaviour of the device, sensitivity of the resources being accessed); security and compliance policies; and an ongoing assessment of risk during each session.

Tinus Janse van Rensburg, Channel Manager, Africa at Netskope, notes that the partnership agreement represents a win-win for both companies: “The new relationship with Networks Unlimited will give us the ‘engine’ and the components to allow us to scale into Africa and mature our business in a way that would be more difficult without this agreement.

“From Networks Unlimited’s perspective, they will be partnering with an award-winning company that has achieved multiple accolades from such notable sources as Gartner and the IDC, and is already a proven leader in Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) solutions. I believe this additionally validates the investigations by Networks Unlimited that led to their decision to partner with Netskope.”

Janse van Rensburg explains that Netskope prefers the description of SASE to mean ‘secure access service edge’ and not, as it is also referred to, as a ‘software access service edge’. The key ingredient, according to Janse van Rensburg, is that the security provider actually needs to be able to provide the ‘Edge’ at least when delivering ‘SASE’.

He says: “The edge no longer implies client premise equipment (CPE) but rather is wherever the app and the user meet, via internet connectivity, anywhere the user travels. Security must be effective and delivered anywhere, and not through traditional models. This provides a point in time benefit to the client.”

Janse van Rensburg adds that the core component lies in Netskope’s NewEdge Network, which according to the company, is the world’s largest, highest-performing security private cloud.

NewEdge is a globally distributed network, with compute and storage that supports and enables the Netskope cloud-native security platform to deliver real-time security without the traditional security and performance trade-off.

NewEdge serves as the network foundation for the Netskope platform as well as an enabler for current and future Netskope capabilities.

“It is the NewEdge network that powers the real-time, inline security services of the Netskope Security Cloud, allowing security to be deployed at the edge where and when it’s needed, delivering SASE architecture,” says Janse van Rensburg. “The Netskope Security Cloud provides unrivalled visibility and real-time data and threat protection when accessing cloud services, websites, and private apps from anywhere, on any device.”

The Netskope offering includes Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) and Cloud Firewall (FW), as well as Next Generation Secure Web Gateway (NG-SWG) and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), all built natively in a single platform.

“This new partnership is a boost for Networks Unlimited as it supplements and complements our existing security solutions. In being able to provide this pure SASE solution, it is highly relevant for both our partners and customers, and puts us front and centre of exactly where the market is headed.

“By changing its delivery compared to a traditional hardware-based delivery, and thus reducing shipping logistics, Netskope also offers a fast rollout to customers. This is of particular value in the African market and will allow us to show our value in days rather than weeks,” concludes Van de Giessen.


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PAT Taps Osi as CEO

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Pan African Towers (PAT), a Nigerian infrastructure provider serving 9mobile and Spectranet, has appointed Echezona Osi as chief executive officer.

PAT Taps Osi as CEO

Echezona Osi

Adefolarin Ogunsanya, company’s, board chairman,  explained in a statement that Osi would succeed Oladipo Badru, whose tenure lasted nine months in acting CEO position. Osi has more than 28 years of experience in the telecommunications sector across various regions of Africa.

Prior to his appointment as CEO, he had served as the head of network deployment at Airtel Nigeria, operations director and chief technical information officer at MIC Tanzania, chief technology officer roles at IPT PowerTech Nigeria, Rhino Niger Networks and Biswal Nigeria.

He obtained a degree in electrical/ electronic engineering from the University of Benin and a postgraduate diploma in data science and business analytics from the University of Texas.


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NCC Introduces N10m Licence Fee for Bulk SMS Service

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Companies sending bulk international text messages, also known as Application-to-Person (A2P) messages, will now have apply for a licence that costs N10 million.

NCC Introduces N10m Licence Fee for Bulk SMS Service

This is part of new rules introduced by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) aimed at cleaning up the system, fighting fraud, blocking spam messages and stopping money from leaving the country unchecked.

These A2P messages are the kind customers get from banks, online stores, hospitals and political campaigns, automated texts sent from apps to their phones.

According to the commission, the bulk international text message system has been poorly regulated, allowing misuse and invasion of privacy.

“The International SMS Service Ecosystem in Nigeria has not been fully brought under regulatory control. It has been observed that the excessive use of the Short Message Service has led to fraud, spam and illegal activities,” the NCC said.

The regulator warned that without action, the problem would worsen as more people use mobile phones and digital services.

To solve this, the NCC is creating a central platform, or gateway, through which all international bulk text messages must pass through.

The agency said this would help to monitor messages in real time, ensure proper fees are paid, and make sure the money stays in Nigeria where it can contribute to the economy.

As part of the incoming change, service providers must follow strict rules, including strong data protection, spam filters, and message encryption.

Also, they must also work with local mobile networks and make sure all messages come from a verified sender

The NCC warned that any message without a proper sender ID will be blocked and not delivered to users.

To protect users from unwanted texts, the new rules say companies must get clear permission before sending any promotional content.

The rule also says people must also be able to choose whether they want to receive such messages or not.

Companies are now required to keep records of all messages for at least six months and must clearly state all charges involved.

The NCC said fees for help requests, cancellations, or service info must be transparent and not include hidden charges.

The commission will issue licences to several providers to encourage healthy competition but may limit new licences if needed.

Only companies that show they can stop fraud and safely deliver messages will be allowed to operate. They must also regularly report their message traffic and finances to the NCC.

It warned that any company that breaks the rules risks getting fined, suspended, or having its licence revoked.

Offences like charging illegal tariffs, ignoring security rules, or avoiding taxes will be punished, the NCC said.

The commission added that the new rules follow the Nigerian Data Protection Act 2023 and support the federal government’s goal of strengthening cybersecurity and controlling Nigeria’s digital space.

The framework will also be reviewed from time to time to keep up with new technology and market trends.


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MTN Nigeria Targets $1Bn Cloud Market with Largest Modular Data Centre

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MTN Nigeria has launched what it claims is the country’s largest prefabricated modular data centre, marking a bold push into the country’s fast-growing cloud market and taking aim at global giants such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

MTN Nigeria Targets $1Bn Cloud Market with Largest Modular Data Centre

Karl Toriola, CEO, MTN Nigeria.

The shift comes as demand for cloud services in Nigeria soars — driven by the uptake of mobile apps, fintech tools and e-learning platforms — while foreign providers have become costlier in the wake of the naira’s sharp devaluation.

“This is one of the biggest data centres in West Africa and probably one of the biggest in Africa,” said Karl Toriola, CEO, MTN Nigeria.

He described the new Tier III-certified facility, with locally hosted cloud services, as “transformative for the technology ecosystem in Nigeria and very supportive of the federal government’s agenda”.

MTN Nigeria, the country’s largest telecoms provider, has so far invested $120m in the first phase, delivering an IT load of 4.5MW. A second phase, set to double capacity to 9MW, is budgeted at $135m.

“We already have data centres that are running our existing capacities,” Toriola said.

“We will go to 9MW in short order, possibly 14MW, and we can expand even further.”

He said the facility would allow local hosting for tech developers, large enterprises including banks and oil companies, and government agencies — markets long dominated by foreign cloud providers.

“Multinational companies such as Netflix, Facebook and Instagram can also host a lot of their data here. That improves the quality of service and reduces the cost of storage,” he added.

 


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