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Mastercard has announced the launch of its Africa Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, a pan-African initiative designed to strengthen cyber resilience, enhance collaboration and help safeguard the trust that underpins Africa’s rapidly expanding digital economy.
The announcement was made during a visit to Nigeria by Mastercard CEO, Michael Miebach, reflecting Mastercard’s long-term commitment to supporting Africa’s digital transformation by helping organizations anticipate, withstand and recover from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. The Cybersecurity Center of Excellence extends Mastercard’s expertise and network, bringing global competence and intelligence to one of the world’s fastest-growing digital economies.
The initiative follows through on commitments made in recent discussions with the Nigerian Government in Abuja to strengthen cybersecurity efforts in Africa.
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President Bola Tinubu said as Nigeria deepens its digital transformation, secure and trusted systems will be critical to inclusion and growth. “We welcome collaborations that strengthen our digital economy and build resilience for the future,” he said.
As digital adoption accelerates across Africa, cybersecurity has become a strategic imperative for economic growth. No single organization can face today’s cyber threats alone. The Africa Cybersecurity Center of Excellence has been established to support the strengthening of collective defense across the continent by bringing together financial institutions, public sector organizations and businesses to share intelligence, improve preparedness, anticipate threats earlier and build resilience over time.
Michael Miebach, CEO, Mastercard, said Africa is dynamic, fast-growing and ready to scale its digital future. According to him “That won’t happen without trust. People don’t use what they don’t trust. That makes cybersecurity foundational to driving economic resilience and growth across the continent.
By doing more to connect public and private sector efforts and share best practices, we can strengthen collective defense and secure a more confident and inclusive digital economy.”
As Africa’s digital economy is projected to reach $1.5 trillion by 2030, the need for greater collaboration has never been more urgent. Cybercrime across Africa is rising sharply, resulting in significant economic losses each year, with only an estimated 35 per cent of incidents officially reported. Nigeria ranks among the most affected markets for ransomware and dark-web threat activity.
The launch of the Africa Cybersecurity Center of Excellence represents the next chapter in Mastercard’s broader mission to build trust in the digital economy.
By working alongside governments, financial institutions and businesses of all sizes, including SMEs, Mastercard intends to help strengthen the digital foundations that underpin inclusive growth.
