Mastercard Partners with Nigeria, South Africa on Cybersecurity

Mastercard has announced a partnership with the Nigerian and South African governments to bolster cybersecurity across Africa. This initiative, revealed during a visit by Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach, is part of a multi-year program aimed at enhancing collaboration among governments, financial institutions, and businesses to improve cyber resilience and protect Africa's digital economy.

The partnership follows commitments made during discussions with the Nigerian government in Abuja and at the G20 meeting in Johannesburg last year. President Bola Tinubu welcomed the collaboration, emphasizing its importance for Nigeria's economic transformation and digital trust.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa also endorsed the initiative. The Mastercard Cybersecurity Center will begin its rollout in 2026, starting in Nigeria and South Africa, and will serve as a pan-African hub for sharing intelligence and coordinating responses to emerging threats.

The initiative aims to address the significant economic losses due to cybercrime, with Africa's digital economy projected to reach $1.5 trillion by 2030.