Alumnus sets out to train 1 million Africans in cybersecurity

Carnegie Mellon University Africa (CMU-Africa) alumnus Jean Pierre “Petero” Niyodusenga (MSIT ’14) is on a mission to help train African youth to work in cybersecurity to ensure Rwanda meets its goal of becoming a secure, knowledge-based economy. Large scale training aligns with Rwanda’s National Cyber Security Strategy and Vision 2050. The plan notes that cyberattacks will continue to grow, and currently there are fewer than 300,000 cybersecurity professionals to combat these cyberthreats.

Training and mentoring youth to fill the growing need for workforce in cybersecurity and related fields is a personal passion for Niyodusenga, a cybersecurity expert, entrepreneur, and educator, who considers himself a bridge between academia and industry.

“In Rwanda we are looking forward to becoming a knowledge-based economy by the year 2030. This can only happen if we build the capacity now to secure a digital infrastructure. Who is going to actually provide that security? It’s the young people,” Niyodusenga said. “We have to start educating and training young people now, not just in Rwanda, or Africa, but across the world.”

As the lead information security expert for MicroRisk Labs, an international company focused on cybersecurity solutions, based in Dallas, Texas, Niyodusenga oversees work in Africa, America, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East. A member of the first graduating class at CMU-Africa, Niyodusenga also stays involved with the institution, serving as an orientation instructor from 2017-2021 and returning often to speak at career fairs and other events.

Earlier this year he officially launched his newest endeavor, the International Cybersecurity Community for Africa (ICCA), a pan-African nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening Africa’s cyber resilience through collaboration, capacity building, standards, research, innovation, and advocacy across the continent.

The ICCA serves as a continental platform where cybersecurity experts, researchers, public sector, private sector, development partners, civil society organizations, and innovators can work together to address shared challenges.

One of the goals of ICCA is to train and educate one million Africans in cybersecurity and related areas by 2030 by offering certifications, mentorship, and access to career opportunities.

Niyodusenga’s passion for training young people is evident when he describes his free online classes, open to anyone who registers. He holds classes for two hours each Sunday and has already reached more than 630 people. Those who complete the training receive a certificate that Niyodusenga says will show employers the value of upskilling in cybersecurity.

I help young people because the future is in their hands.

Jean Pierre Niyodusenga, Lead cybersecurity expert, MicroRisk Labs

He has 100 volunteers who serve as mentors and is seeking additional mentors so trainees can receive free assistance with their resumes and LinkedIn profiles.

Niyodusenga also wrote Breaking into Cybersecurity: How to Get Started with a Cybersecurity Career with No Tech Background, which he describes as a roadmap on starting a career in cybersecurity, even without experience.

“I work hard to help young people because I know the future is in their hands,” he said. “The world can only change if someone takes the initiative to inspire someone next to them and they inspire another person. Then, we can change the world together.”