Cybersecurity: Resilio Africa launched to support 200 institutions across Africa

CyberSafe Foundation and Google.org have launched Resilio Africa, a cybersecurity platform to support 200 critical community institutions (CCIs), including clinics, schools, local government offices and vital non-profits across Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and South Africa.

The ambitious three-year programme began with a blunt assessment of Africa’s rapid digital transformation, which leaves most essential public services exposed to attack. Many operate on ageing systems, while most have no security budget, making them easy targets for modern cybercrime.

The numbers are striking; Resilio Africa intends to protect the records of about 2 million people and secure 15 million public records across the four pilot countries. In year one, the programme will prioritise Nigeria and Kenya before scaling to Ghana and South Africa.

At the launch event in Lagos, Confidence Staveley, Executive Director of CyberSafe Foundation, set the tone by highlighting the “aggressive cyber activity” now targeting Sub-Saharan Africa.

She noted that with over 42 million web attacks recorded in the first half of 2025 alone, critical community institutions are facing a crisis of capacity. “These are not abstract numbers,” she warned, pointing to the 60% increase in password-stealing malware and the billions of threat events in East Africa driven by phishing and fraud.

Staveley cautioned that without addressing structural gaps like outdated security policies and a lack of incident response planning, these essential institutions remain vulnerable to sustained attacks.

Confidence Staveley, Executive Director of CyberSafe Foundation

In a keynote, Anna Collard, SVP of Content Strategy and Evangelist for KnowBe4 Africa, noted that cybercrime in Africa is not merely a financial problem but a threat to social stability.

Resilio Africa is built around that idea. Success Tawo, Programme Lead at CyberSafe Foundation, described the mission as creating a “digitally resilient Africa where CCIs have the tools, the skills, and the network to defend themselves.”

She explained that the initiative delivers technical tools, expert hours and capacity building. It also provides incident response plans tailored to each organisation.

What participating CCIs stand to gain from Resilio Africa

Participating CCIs will receive advanced cybersecurity tools and real-time threat intelligence. The project offers over 10,000 pro bono consulting hours.

It plans tiered training for more than 4,500 staff, from executives to frontline workers. Institutions will also get customised incident response playbooks and tabletop exercises, including phishing simulations and security health checks.

The programme offers a rare combination of tools, training and hands-on support. If the pilot succeeds, it could become a model for protecting vulnerable institutions beyond the four launch countries.

Eligibility is straightforward, and the application is now open for eligible CCIs willing to commit time and participate in assessments.

The programme targets registered non-profits and public sector bodies that provide essential services. Schools, hospitals, media houses, helplines and local government offices are all within scope. Purely commercial businesses and financial institutions are excluded.

Tawo emphasised collaboration. By joining, institutions enter a network of peers. They will share insights, resources and lessons learnt. “If you are safe and your neighbour is not, are we really safe?” she asked.

Also read: The digital Battle of Adwa: Kanessa Muluneh’s quest for Africa’s gaming sovereignty

Google.org’s support gives the project scale and credibility. Haviva Kohl, Google.org EMEA Programme Manager, framed the work as a force multiplier. For technology to serve society, it must be safe. Grants to grassroots cybersecurity initiatives can change the calculus for small organisations across the continent.

Resilio Africa is deliberately practical, focusing on measurable risk reduction. Security health checks will look for compromised credentials and infected devices. Phishing simulations will teach staff to spot malicious links. Incident playbooks will guide response and recovery. Real-time threat feeds will support cross-border collaboration.

This initiative arrives at a critical moment. Ransomware and targeted attacks are rising globally. In many African countries, the consequences are amplified by limited resources and fragile infrastructure. Resilio Africa seeks to close that gap.

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