By Comfort Asemota
The CyberSafe Foundation, with funding support from Google.org, is set to launch Resilio Africa, a three-year cybersecurity resilience initiative aimed at reducing the rising risks of cyberattacks across institutions and communities in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
The project will bolster the cyber defenses of 200 Critical Community Institutions (CCIs) by providing free technical tools, threat assessments, intelligence sharing, and incident response frameworks. Resilio Africa aims to protect over two million people and secure more than 15 million public records in countries including Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa, marking one of the most ambitious efforts to strengthen community cybersecurity across the region.
Haviva Kohl, Senior Programme Manager at Google.org, emphasized, “Access to secure digital systems is essential for inclusive growth. Our support for CyberSafe Foundation’s CCI cybersecurity work reflects a shared commitment to empower communities and protect critical institutions. Resilio Africa will enable essential organisations to operate safely and confidently in a digital world.”
A brief by CyberSafe Foundation highlighted the growing cybersecurity challenges in SSA, noting that many critical community institutions face attacks with limited resources to respond. Data from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Global Cybersecurity Index indicates that over 60% of African countries fall under the “low commitment” category for national cybersecurity readiness, leading to limited institutional cybersecurity capacity, low digital threat awareness, and insufficient security budgets.
Resilio Africa will address these gaps by delivering:
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Technical tools, assessments, and customised incident response frameworks for 200 CCIs
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Over 10,000 hours of pro bono cybersecurity consulting to support CCI teams
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Tiered training for executives, IT teams, and staff, impacting over 4,500 employees and decision-makers
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Protection for over 2 million people and 15 million public records across Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa
This initiative positions Resilio Africa as a landmark program in Africa’s cybersecurity ecosystem, aiming to strengthen digital resilience and safeguard communities against growing cyber threats.
