New partnership with the International Cybersecurity and Digital
Forensics Academy will train some 500 students a year in globally
recognised, prevention-first cyber security skills, helping Nigeria
build the talent needed to secure its digital and AI transformation
Lafia, Nigeria, September 2026 – Check Point® Software
Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a pioneer and global leader of cyber
security solutions, today announced the launch of its fourth Check Point
SecureAcademy in Nigeria, in partnership with the International
Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics Academy (ICDFA) in Lafia, Nasarawa
State. The partnership welcomes its first student cohort this month and
is designed to help close Nigeria’s critical cyber skills gap and
support the country’s secure digital and AI transformation.
Check Point SecureAcademy is delivered through Check Point Services and
offered in more than 290 academic institutions across 80+ countries. In
Africa, the programme has already trained more than 500 students through
20 active partnerships. ICDFA joins Check Point’s existing Nigerian
SecureAcademy partners – the Cybersafe Foundation in Lagos, Ahmadu Bello
University in Zaria and the Osun College of IT & Management in Ibadan –
becoming the fourth Nigerian institution in the programme and the first
in North-Central Nigeria, extending world-class, prevention-first cyber
security training beyond the country’s major commercial cities.
Through the partnership, ICDFA students, alumni and faculty members will
gain access to Check Point SecureAcademy’s online content library,
structured corporate courseware built on the Check Point Infinity
Platform, lab installation guides, software licences and professional
certification pathways – including the industry-recognised Check Point
Certified Security Administrator (CCSA) and Check Point Certified
Security Expert (CCSE) credentials – backed by a SecureAcademy grant
valued at up to USD 60,000 per institution annually. The programme gives
students exposure to the same unified, AI-powered security principles
used by organisations to protect hybrid networks, cloud environments,
workspaces and emerging AI systems.
“Nigeria is at the heart of Africa’s digital acceleration, and its
cyber security talent pipeline must scale as fast as its threat surface.
Through this partnership with ICDFA, Check Point SecureAcademy will
equip Nigerian students, alumni and faculty with the technical
knowledge, prevention-first methodologies and hands-on experience needed
to defend the country’s digital economy against today’s AI-driven
threats – while opening globally recognised career pathways in cyber
security,” says Kingsley Oseghale, Country Manager: West Africa for
Check Point Software Technologies.
Nigeria’s digital economy is expanding at pace. Information and
communications technology was the country’s fastest-growing sector in
the first quarter of 2026, growing 10.98% year-on-year and contributing
11.31% of real GDP, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, [2]
while broadband penetration has climbed to 55.67%. As Nigerian
organisations accelerate their adoption of cloud services, digital
finance and AI-driven applications, the country’s attack surface is
growing in parallel – and attackers are exploiting it at machine speed.
Check Point Research recorded an average of 4,361 weekly cyber attacks
per Nigerian organisation in June 2026 – nearly double the global
average of 2,270 – with Africa remaining the second most-attacked region
in the world. Yet the defenders remain in short supply. Nigeria has an
estimated 25,760 cyber security professionals against a national
requirement of at least 275,000, a workforce gap of more than 90%,
according to the National Information Technology Development Agency
(NITDA) [3]. According to Check Point’s Africa cyber security trends
analysis, more than 200,000 cyber security roles remain unfilled across
the continent. In this environment, detection alone is no longer enough
– prevention must be the default operating model, and the workforce must
be trained to stop attacks before they disrupt businesses, public
services and communities.
“We are excited to become a Check Point SecureAcademy partner. This
partnership strengthens our mission to provide practical,
industry-aligned, prevention-first cyber security education to our
students and alumni. Access to Check Point’s enterprise-grade
technologies, learning resources and globally recognised certification
pathways will expand our training programmes and create more
opportunities for young Nigerians to build world-class cyber security
careers,” says Aminu Idris, AMCPN, Founder and Commandant of ICDFA.
While ICDFA’s training centre is located in Lafia, students will be
drawn from across Nigeria through physical, virtual and blended learning
– extending quality cyber security education into underserved and
emerging technology communities. During the initial phase, ICDFA expects
to train approximately 500 students annually through Check Point-aligned
programmes, with capacity to grow as instructor numbers, laboratory
infrastructure and programme reach expand.
As part of the onboarding process, ICDFA faculty members completed Check
Point’s CCSA Train-the-Trainer course in August 2026, equipping
instructors to deliver prevention-first, real-world simulations informed
by Check Point’s global threat intelligence. The first Check
Point-aligned student cohort commences in September 2026, alongside the
official launch of the partnership.
“Youth unemployment remains a critical challenge globally, and cyber
security is one of the few fields offering sustainable, high-value
digital careers at scale. Nigeria’s talent is not confined to its
biggest cities. Through SecureAcademy, we add hands-on simulation tools,
prevention-first methodologies and AI-era threat intelligence to the
strong foundations, institutions like ICDFA already provide – improving
graduate employability and strengthening the broader digital ecosystem
that Nigeria, its partners and its citizens depend on,” says Oseghale.
Key Features of the Check Point SecureAcademy Programme with ICDFA:
- Globally recognised certifications: Courses aligned with
industry-standard credentials, including the popular Check Point
Certified Security Administrator (CCSA) and Check Point Certified
Security Expert (CCSE) as well as more than 10 other official
certification courses. - Practical, prevention-first skills for the real world: From threat
intelligence and network defence to cloud and AI risk, students gain
hands-on experience with Check Point’s Infinity Platform and
enterprise-grade tools, informed by global threat research. - Enhanced employability: Programmes designed to bridge the gap between
academic learning and workforce requirements, with structured routes
into Nigeria’s growing public- and private-sector cyber security roles
– complementing national initiatives such as the federal 3 Million
Technical Talents (3MTT) programme. - Accessible and inclusive training: Physical, virtual and blended
delivery from ICDFA’s Lafia campus, expanding access for students and
young professionals across Nigeria, including in underserved and
emerging technology communities.
The Check Point SecureAcademy initiative with ICDFA aligns with
Nigeria’s national cyber security agenda, including the National
Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy (2021), the Cybercrime (Prohibition,
Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act 2024, and the National Artificial
Intelligence Strategy’s goal of equipping the majority of young
Nigerians with AI-related skills. The growing demand for certified
professionals places pressure on both industry and education providers
to scale up practical training pipelines.
By combining global cyber security expertise with local education
access, the programme aims to strengthen Nigeria’s talent pipeline,
improve youth employability, and help build long-term resilience for the
country’s digital economy. It is also part of Check Point’s broader
commitment to securing the AI era by combining prevention-first
technology, global threat intelligence and practical cyber security
education. By helping academic institutions develop job-ready talent,
Check Point is supporting a more resilient, inclusive and secure digital
future for Nigeria and the wider African region.
For more information, visit:
https://www.checkpoint.com/mind/secureacademy/
