DeepSeek has taken the AI world by storm, sparking intense debate and grabbing global attention. This open-source AI platform, developed by a private Chinese company, is being hailed as a groundbreaking competitor to platforms like ChatGPT. Unlike ChatGPT’s latest models, which charge users up to $200 a month, DeepSeek offers similar capabilities for free. The […]
Evans Kithua
Cybercrime Analyst
AFRIPOL
Evans Kithua is a highly skilled cybercrime intelligence analyst with almost a decade of extensive experience. Evans has driven great results in cyber threat intelligence analysis, digital forensics investigations, OSINT & SOCMINT analysis, operational support, training & capacity building, and policy advisory in tackling cybercrime.
Evans has experience in SOC project management and strategic systems implementation to safeguard critical systems. His expertise extends to analysis of cyber-enabled crimes, management skills, design thinking, and legal compliance within cyber operations.
Evans Kithua holds specialized training in cyber threat intelligence analysis, criminal intelligence analysis, OSINT & SOCMINT investigations, and information technology.
Samuel Akerele
Cybersecurity Lead, Vihosi
Samuel Akerele is Cybersecurity Lead at Vuhosi. He is a skilled Cybersecurity Analyst with expertise in Technical Support, Database Management, Vulnerability management and Incident response. As a dedicated Certified member of the Microsoft Community Contributor program and Cyber Aware Group, he is committed to continuous professional development and sharing knowledge within the tech community.
Francisca Adekanye
Cybersecurity Program Coordinator, Cybarik
Francisca Adekanye is a cybersecurity advocate and program coordinator with a strong focus on talent development, community building, and cybersecurity education. She currently serves as the Program Coordinator at CyBlack, where she leads initiatives such as the Internship Program, SOC Academy, and Cisco Academy,
Known for her organizational excellence and passion for mentorship, Francisca plays a vital role in fostering an inclusive and skills-driven environment. She is a CyberGirls Fellow and an active contributor to the growth of Africa’s cybersecurity ecosystem.
Chukwudi Theodore Onije
Solution Engineer, CISCO
As a Technical Consulting Engineer in Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration program in Africa, I champion digital transformation through innovative and ethical technology solutions. I focus on technical architecture that promotes digital skills and economic development while ensuring sustainable and secure national infrastructure. I provide technical thought leadership to support partner incubation and community empowerment. My expertise in enterprise networking, wireless, and security drives initiatives that bridge technology and societal advancement. I am committed to creating inclusive communities and leveraging my skills for a significant global impact.
Samuel Afolabi
Principal Cybersecurity Consultant
Samuel Afolabi is a Cybersecurity multipotentialite. With a professional journey spanning Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs), FinTech, EdTech, E-Commerce, Insurance, GovTech, and IT Consulting, he brings a wealth of experience across diverse industries. His extensive background in information technology, including software engineering, computer networking, data center management, SOC/NOC management, and cloud computing, enables him to ethically hack and securely design technology infrastructures. An ex-Fellow of the Pan-African Youth Ambassadors for Internet Governance (PAYAIG). His expertise transcends national borders, with impactful contributions in Nigeria, South Africa, Canada, and the United States. He holds professional certifications from esteemed organizations, including Amazon, CompTIA, EC-Council, Fortinet, GitHub, and Microsoft.
Gemma Pyne Bailey
Cybersecurity Trainer, Sierra Leone’s National Cyber Security Centre (NC3)
Gemma Pyne Bailey is a Cybersecurity Specialist, a Cybersecurity Trainer at Sierra Leone’s National Cyber Security Centre (NC3) and a Global Ambassador for the Protect Us Kids Foundation. With international experience from the UK, Kenya, and Sierra Leone, she focuses on national cyber resilience, youth empowerment, and online child protection. Gemma holds an MSc in Cybersecurity and Pentesting and is INTERPOL-certified in cybercrime and electronic evidence. She advocates for responsible AI, Cybersecurity education, and Cyber sustainability, especially in protecting vulnerable communities. Her work bridges technology, governance, and human-centered security in Africa’s digital transformation.
Angela Matlapeng
Senior CSIRT Analyst
I am a laid-back cybersecurity professional who is enthusiastic about data-driven decision-making, helping organizations build cyber resilience, as well empowering
my community on how to keep safe online. With over 9 years of cross-functional experience spanning cybersecurity risk, governance & compliance, domain infrastructure management & internet governance, ICT policy development & implementation, as well software development.
I bring a unique blend of technical expertise, leadership, and strategic insight. I thrive at the intersection of people, data, and technology, and I believe that people + data transforms businesses. I hold an MSc in Business Analytics from Trinity College Dublin in Ireland (2024), as well as a BSc Honors degree in Computer Systems Engineering from University of Sunderland, UK (2015). I have been working for the Botswana CSIRT for over 6years since 2018, and in my current role as a Senior CSIRT Analyst, I’ve led my team in national cyber incident response & vulnerability management and threat intelligence initiatives, cyber resilience, maturity assessments, risk, compliance, business continuity, industry-specific capacity building, as well as public safety campaigns. I have s also served as Botswana’s ccTLD Engineer, where I grew the .bw domain to more than 10,000 domains during the covid19 pandemic, implementing DNSSEC and actively combating DNS Abuse. I also drove inclusive internet policy amongst others, through a multistakeholder consultative process.
Beyond my role at BOCRA in the technical domain, I have served as Vice Chairperson of the Africa Top Level Domains (AFTLD) LTD, actively participated in several working groups such as the ccNSO Policy Development Process (ccPDP3) on retirement of ccTLDs, the DNS Abuse Standing Committee (DASC) and TLD-OPS for ccTLD incident response at ICANN, as well as the DNS Abuse SIG at FIRST. I also actively mentor women in tech and cybersecurity and currently an envoy and mentor of the ITU Women in Cyber Mentorship program.
Outside the office, I enjoy fencing, traveling, nature and outdoor activities, learning new languages, music, and volunteering in my community! I am also currently the
Chairperson of a reputable college in Botswana – Botswana Accountancy College, and by virtue of this position, I sit in the BAC Board where I am part of the Academic Oversight Committee as well as the Finance and Risk Advisory Committee.
Lumnat Ishaq Kurfi
Cyber Analyst, ngCERT/NCCC Nigeria
Lumnat Ishaq is a Cyber Analyst at the Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (NgCERT), under the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre, Abuja. She studied at the University of Sunderland, UK, Lumnat brings a blend of technical expertise, academic grounding, and creative passion to the cybersecurity space.
Prior to her current role, she spent seven years at Federal University Dutsinma, where she coordinated and led numerous trainings for academic and non-academic staff. She has acquired several skills and certifications in Digital Forensics and other Information Security domains.
Lumnat is a multifaceted writer and the author of an unpublished book, The Charred Ginger, alongside a growing collection of prose and poetry. Fluent in English, Hausa, Urdu, and Hindi, she is a committed advocate for youth empowerment through education and creativity.
Her aspirations mirror Africa CyberFest’s mission of fostering inclusive growth, innovation, and leadership in cybersecurity across the continent.
Ella Hamwaka
Cybersecurity Specialist
Ella Hamwaka is a distinguished cybersecurity specialist with a diverse academic and
professional background. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity with distinction from CT University in India and completed a Master’s degree in Computer Applications with a specialization in Computer Science and IT with Distinction as well.
Currently, Ella serves as an Incident Response Officer at the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority, as a key member of the national CERT (Malawi CERT). In this role, she addresses and mitigates cybersecurity incidents to protect national interests. Her career spans various roles, including Cybersecurity Intern with the Malawi Defense Force, Software Engineer at Gestetner Limited, and ICT Officer at egovernment under the Ministry of Information. She also managed the Future Diplomat Forum 2022 with International Global Network and has contributed to the Wikimedia Foundation as a writer.
Ella represents her country at prestigious high-level meetings, including the United Nations’ Open-Ended Working Group on the security and use of information and communications technologies where she does the Cyber negotiations for Malawi. She is also an active participant in esteemed fellowships such as the HerCyberTracks Fellowship and the Women in International Security and Cyberspace Fellowship, showcasing her dedication to advancing
cybersecurity and empowering women in the field.
As a Child Online Protection Trainer and Get Safe Online Ambassador, Ella is dedicated to promoting online safety. She has a strong foundation in programming, ethical hacking, penetration testing, Malware Analysis, Threat analysis and Incident Response and is passionate about education and knowledge-sharing. She holds certifications as a Certified Ethical Hacker and Cisco Support Technician in Cybersecurity.
Amina Allison
Cybersecurity Specialist/Project Manager
Amina Allison is a cybersecurity and project management professional committed to advancing a safer and more inclusive digital future worldwide. Her work spans cybercrime prevention, digital resilience, youth empowerment, and the ethical governance of emerging technologies. With a background in both technology and law, she brings a multidisciplinary lens to critical conversations around cybersecurity, digital rights, and responsible innovation. Amina Allison has contributed to local and international dialogues on cybersecurity, AI governance, and digital transformation. She is committed to advancing digital security and literacy through strategic advocacy, knowledge-sharing, and community-driven initiatives. Amina believes that Africa’s digital future will be shaped by how well its people are empowered to understand, defend, and lead in an increasingly complex technological landscape.
Oluseyi Akindeinde
Founder Hyperspace Technologies
With about 25 years of expertise in the technology and information security sectors, I dedicated a large portion of my early professional journey to understanding and addressing the security challenges within Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and Financial Transaction Systems (FTS). I have had the privilege to share the findings of my comprehensive research work at an array of esteemed conferences and with prestigious organisations such as the NSA, CBN, ISSAN, CCIBN, CIBN, EFCC, NSE, EPPAN, and the executive councils and senior management of numerous financial institutions across Nigeria. I also honourably serve as an advisor to the Nigerian eFraud Forum (NeFF), a broad-based initiative by the CBN.
Beyond my advisory role, my expertise has been sought by entities from various sectors including finance, manufacturing, oil and gas, telecommunications, media as well as State and Federal Government Agencies. I have regularly provided enlightening presentations on current cyber security issues to the National Assembly, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), and Office of the
National Security Adviser (NSA).
Recently, I have immersed myself in the realm of web3, blockchain and smart contract technology, concentrating on harnessing these innovative systems to enhance Internet security. My particular focus lies in applying these technologies to advance web and product authentication as well as identity and access management.
I have a strong passion for establishing and developing tech startups. I’m especially excited about two tech startups in which
I’m involved. The first, Hyperspace Technologies, known for its groundbreaking product, cipherKEY tap2signTM.
NeuRaL AI, the second startup provides a fully integrated AI infrastructure to streamline workflows and boost employee productivity with AI-driven automation and decision support tools for enterprises. We also offer training of deep learning models for use in different industry verticals projects, powered by our AI innovation
stack BioNicBox & REACTOR leveraging our Neural LoopTM dRAG patented technology.
Personally I have 4 patents (cipherKEY, cipherCHIP, bioKEY and Neural Loop) to my name.
Moses Joshua
Cybersecurity Consultant
Moses Joshua is a cybersecurity consultant who currently manages the operations of an international cyber capacity-building project across Africa.
With a deep commitment to preventing cybercrime, building a cyber talent pipeline in Africa, and helping businesses achieve cyber-resilience, he founded DoH Africa – a global African cybersecurity community. He also built Sudoforce, which protects businesses and nations against cyber threats, and co-founded the Cybersecurity Education Initiative to help prevent cybercrime and support underserved communities. Joshua is the co-convener of the Africa CyberFest.
At the core of his pursuits is a driving vision of digital transformation—a world where technology is accessible to underserved communities and trusted by everyone.
Tobi Mayana
Host
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Grace Brown Owosen
Offensive Security Engineer
Grace Brown Owoseni, also known as “The Tech-Creative”, is an Offensive Security Engineer with a solid background in Product Marketing Management, seamlessly blending technical expertise with strategic creativity in the world of cybersecurity.
Beyond the console, she is a captivating voice-over artist, dynamic event host, and creative producer who’s known for bringing an unforgettable edge to projects, conferences, campaigns, and digital experiences. With her signature fusion of innovation, style, and creativity, she makes tech not just impactful, but effortlessly engaging and chic.
She is an advocate for teaching, mentorship, and public speaking, contributing significantly to the cybersecurity community through training programs and industry events.
Oluwaseyi Ajadi
Quality Assurance and Penetration Tester
Having spent 2 years as a developer, he began his cyber security journey. From penetration testing as a hobby to penetration testing live systems. Three years later, he works as a Quality and Security Tester merging the duties of a QA Analyst and a Cyber Security Tester. The merge of both gives him a unique perspective and methodology for finding bugs, both functionality, and security.
Victor Nwogu
Senior Software Engineer, 9japay – Core Banking & Payments.
Experienced Software Engineer with 8+ years of hands-on expertise in building scalable systems. Passionate about innovation, cross-functional collaboration, and leveraging technology to solve real-world problems.
Emmanuel Oni
Security Researcher
For the past two years I’ve been a Security Researcher at Security Compass, translating cutting-edge vulnerability research into practical guidance that helps Fortune 500 engineering teams build secure products from day one.
My research interests orbit around IoT/embedded security, cloud service hardening, software-defined radio (SDR) exploitation, and AI-augmented security workflows. I’m an active participant in bug-bounty programs (Cisco Meraki, TECNO, et al.) and maintain Odd Labs, a personal R&D space where I prototype novel attack and defense techniques.
Mr. Tokunbo Taiwo
ED/CTO, Digital Jewels Africa Ltd
Tokunbo Taiwo is an Information Technology Governance, Risk, Security and Compliance professional whose career is focused on assisting organizations realize their strategic business objectives through effective, secure and innovative use of information technology.
He has been involved in the governance and management of IT in diverse sectors across 15 Africa countries over three decades.
He is an Executive Director, and Group Chief Technical Officer for Digital Jewels Africa.
He is Certified in Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), amongst others. He is also an ISACA/APMG certified CISA, CISM, CGEIT, COBIT 5/2019 and CSX-F trainer.
Mr Taiwo is a life member of the Nigeria Computer Society, and a Platinum Member of ISACA.
He is the Immediate Past President of the Lagos chapter of ISACA.
Tope Ogundipe
Founder/Executive Director; Techsocietal
Tope Ogundipe is the founder and executive Director of Techsocietal, leading bold initiatives to advance digital safety, platform accountability, and rights-respecting tech policy for women, children, and vulnerable communities. With over 15 years of experience, including past roles at Meta and paradigm initiatives, she brings deep expertise in digital rights, online safety, gender justice, and technology policy. Tope is a recognized leader in multi-stakeholder collaboration and feminist tech governance, working with global networks like the Global Digital Inclusion Partnership and Women’s Rights Online. She’s an alumna of the University of York, Harvard Kennedy School, and Obafemi Awolowo University, passionate about shaping safer, more inclusive digital futures
