On a vibrant Lagos morning, over 90 cybersecurity professionals gathered for the Sophos Experience Partner Roadshow 2025, an annual cornerstone event for the company’s local channel partners.

More than just presentations and panels, it was a rallying cry for collaboration, innovation, and resilience in the face of evolving cyber threats.

A Shared Vision for a Safer Digital Future

With ransomware incidents spiking — accounting for 70% of attacks on small businesses and over 90% on mid-sized firms in 2024, according to the latest Sophos Threat Report — the stakes have never been higher.

“We’re not just talking products here,” said Prish Thaakar, director of Sales, Africa at Sophos.
“We’re talking about building a cybersecurity ecosystem that’s unified, intelligent, and ready for anything.”

Themed “Channel-best is not just a slogan, it’s our DNA,” the event spotlighted how Sophos is doubling down on its channel-first strategy, using tools like Sophos Central — a unified AI-powered platform backed by Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services — to secure the modern attack surface across endpoints, networks, email, and cloud.

Learning, Strategy, and a Few Big Wins

The day’s agenda was a rich blend of:

• Product roadmaps & go-to-market insights
• Advanced threat detection strategies
• Tailored training for sales, marketing, and MSP teams
• Interactive sessions and panel discussions

Partners also got a sneak peek into upcoming integrations between Sophos and Secureworks, following the 2025 acquisition — a move poised to reshape MDR and XDR services across global markets.

Recognising the Best in the Business

Sophos took time to celebrate its standout Nigerian partners, honouring them in categories like:

• Partner of the Year – Reliance Infosystems Limited
• MDR Partner of the Year – ZetaWeb Business Solutions
• Distributor of the Year – Mart Networks Solutions Limited
• Campaign of the Year – OTIS Integrated Systems
• Outstanding Contributor – Pacific Solutions Technologies Limited
• Customer Success of the Year – Casper Technologies Limited

“These awards aren’t just plaques. They reflect real commitment, deep expertise, and a shared goal of making Nigeria’s digital landscape safer,” Prish added.

What’s Next for Sophos and Nigeria’s Channel?

With the recent appointment of Chris Bell as Global SVP of Channel Strategy and the launch of MSP Elevate — a growth accelerator for managed service providers — Sophos is clearly laying long-term foundations across Africa.

MSPs already defending 250,000+ customers globally now have new tools, support teams like Sophos Partner Care and Customer Success, and deeper integration with industry-leading threat intelligence via Sophos X-Ops and Secureworks’ Counter Threat Unit (CTU).

Conclusion

Lagos 2025 wasn’t just a roadshow. It was a strategic checkpoint — reminding the industry that no one wins alone in the cyber trenches. With Sophos and its Nigerian partners working hand in hand, the country’s digital future looks a whole lot more secure.

Explore more at Sophos website.

The event, which turned out to be a double as it also marked the Group Managing Director’s Golden Jubilee Celebration, further highlighted the first 20 years of the Foundation’s activities and its vision.

Speaking on the objectives of PlungeSmile Foundation, Mr. Olayemi Popoola, the group managing director at Reliance Infosystems, noted that the Foundation seeks to give young ones opportunities to achieve their goals as they are seen as the future leaders.

In his words:

“When we set up our business, the Reliance Group, we felt like we shouldn’t just be focused on making money and making our employees happy. We also want to impart happiness to the people all around us, especially the younger ones who we see as the leaders of tomorrow.”

He explained that this informed setting up the Foundation 20 years ago.

Mr. Popoola, who disclosed that the Foundation has a 50-year ambitious plan to impact 30 million students across Africa with its mission, noted:

“20 years down the line, we have only adopted 7 or 8 schools. Today we feed 1000 students on a daily basis. So long they go to school, they are sure of one meal, which we provide today. We are hopeful that we will be able to extend this to other schools all across Nigeria, with the help and support of corporate bodies and well-meaning Nigerians.

We are building our first model in Kwara State. This is because we have limited funding for now. And we are doing public schools because that is where the impact will be felt the most.”

He further solicited the support of corporate bodies and individuals

“What we are trying to do today is to canvass support from well-meaning Nigerians and corporate bodies, to join force with us. It is also an opportunity for them to extend social good to their own businesses as well.

So we want to find a way to get as many corporate bodies and well-meaning individuals, to join force with us to extend this good work we are doing.”

Andy Eberechukwu Akukwe, vice president, PlungeSmile Foundation, in a media chat, said that PlungeSmile has actually transformed the lifestyle of thousands of individuals.

“Our programmes are carried out in public secondary schools, and some of the people that we actually impacted are now graduates in their rights, and doing very well in the society, and some of them are even supporting the charitable works of PlungeSmile, that is speaking to transformation,” Akukwe said.

Backed by Reliance Infosystems and its sister companies – DigiTanks, Cloudway Africa and Reliance Datatech, PlungeSmile Foundation is an educational and welfare nonprofit seeking to holistically educate and empower individuals to reach their full potential and become self-reliant.

The Foundation, which empowers and uplifts marginalised individuals and communities by providing comprehensive support and resources, through collaboration, advocacy, and innovative solutions, aims to breach the cycle of poverty and inequality, fostering sustainable development and long-term positive change. Its interventions cross into Education, Infrastructure, Health & Nutrition, among others.

Under its intervention in education, PlungeSmile Foundation has initiated School Feeding Programme (SFP) for some public schools; Kit-Up-a-Child scheme designed to provide complete school clothing attire, including uniforms, socks, shoes, and bags, for pupils in public schools, thereby providing a sense of belonging to the child; and the Audiovisual Learning programme, which creates and serves as an enlightening platform for students in underserved rural areas, helping them realise the importance of learning, and dedication to work.

According to Bukky Shonibare, technical assistant at PlungeSmile, the programmes of the Foundation, which has a Co-Creation element to it, supports the Renewed Hope agenda of the President Bola Tinubu administration.

Organised by Nigeria Communications Week a respected technology publication, acknowledges and champions through the awards best practices and outstanding contributions to the growth of the ICT sector.

Reliance Infosystems was declared a winner in its category through a voting process that included business leaders, readers, as well as independent quality experts.

In a letter announcing the achievement, Ken Nwogbo, Editor In-Chief of Nigeria Communications Week said,

“this is a testament to your talents, innovations, contributions and commitments to the growth of the ICT industry, and we are happy that Nigerians have recognized your hard work, sincerity and dedication towards the development of the ICT industry.”

Olayemi Popoola, managing director, Reliance Infosystems, expressed delight at the recognition which is a way of rewarding hard work and motivation to contribute more in digital transformation of our economy.

According to Popoola,

“at Reliance Infosystems, our vision is to reinvent the world through digital transformation. We believe in pushing boundaries, challenging the status quo, and reshaping industries with the help of innovative technology solutions. By partnering with us, you gain a dedicated team that will race alongside you, providing the necessary technologies, strategies, and support to ensure your success’.

“At the core of our business philosophy lies a commitment to winning with our customers. Our success is measured by the progress we help our customers to achieve. To fuel organizations with the right technologies to reach new heights, we provide a tripod of cutting-edge solutions and services that deliver Business Transformation, Operational Excellence and Protection Assurance.

“The current business landscape is powered by technology. Digital transformation offers

numerous possibilities, yet these opportunities can only be truly harnessed with the right

solutions, guide, and support. That’s where we come in”,

He added that, Reliance Infosystems provides organizations with a comprehensive roadmap to navigate the complex digital landscape and achieve success.

“We take an empathy-infused consultative approach to help organisations of all sizes embark on a successful digital transformation journey and capitalize on technology’s abundant opportunities. To achieve this, we provide a unique range of services infused with tailored products and structured around three core pillars,” he said.