TeKnowledge, a pioneer in expert technology services, has unveiled a strategic initiative aimed at strengthening enterprise resilience and creating over 6,000 high-skill jobs in Nigeria.
This was revealed at the TeKnowledge Nigeria CxO Summit 2025, held on Thursday, 8 May at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
At the core of this announcement is the launch of its AI-First Expert Technology Services in Nigeria, a unified service model designed to strengthen digital ecosystems, upskill local talent, and improve cybersecurity across the continent.
Nigeria remains TeKnowledge’s largest global hub, delivering services to over 90 countries and playing host to its key Security Operations Centre.
“This is an exciting milestone—one that reflects how far TeKnowledge has come and the future we’re building together with our ecosystem,” said Olugbolahan Olusanya, Africa Territory director at TeKnowledge.
“Our new brand and AI-First Expert Technology Services model are grounded in what has always mattered most: people, trust, and progress.”
Olusanya’s emphasis on people and trust was reiterated by the firm’s CEO, who provided a chronological journey of TeKnowledge’s evolution, from launching operations in Europe and Latin America to entering the Nigerian market in 2018 with just 200 people.
Today, the company employs 2,000 local experts and has trained more than 7,000 Nigerians, including 1,000 women, through strategic partnerships such as with Microsoft.
Aileen Allkins, president and CEO, TeKnowledge, recounted, “In 2018 we started this operation in Nigeria, initially with 200 people, and they were doing Azure technical support, supporting Microsoft global customers from here… nobody else was setting up an operation with the vision to become the size that we are today.”
The Summit also addressed the escalating complexity of cyber threats and the urgent need for stronger defence mechanisms, especially as Africa adopts digital infrastructure at scale.
Gabriel Portnoy, executive advisor for Cybersecurity at TeKnowledge, stated: “We built this to give you actionable insights without the hype. We aim to distinguish hype from reality, because everyone in the past three years has been misusing, abusing and overusing the word AI.”
Portnoy emphasised that organisations must prioritise solving business problems, not chasing trends. “If it’s the latter, then we don’t start by asking the question, ‘What can AI do for me?’ We start by asking the question, ‘What are my business problems?’”
Speaking further, he said, “If it’s smart, it’s vulnerable,” warning that interconnected systems such as smart buildings, IoT devices, and cloud networks, while valuable, expose businesses and nations to significant risks. “It’s not about their capability, it’s about our weaknesses,” he said.
He stressed the need for deeper collaboration between organisations and governments, adding, “We are offering true cooperation, a true partnership.”
Cybersecurity was not discussed as an isolated issue. From the panel sessions, it was revealed that the threat landscape is evolving faster than most organisations can adapt to.
“The attackers are collaborating… and if the threat actors are collaborating, we, as government, enterprise, public sector, private sector—we need to build this ecosystem to help each other.”
Speakers pushed for mindset changes at every level, from executives to IT teams to policymakers. The takeaway was that if Nigeria and Africa are to compete in the global digital economy, investments in talent, infrastructure, and cyber resilience must be scaled with speed.
TeKnowledge’s model stands out for its deliberate integration of skilling, infrastructure, and transformation services. With over 6,000 experts across 19 hubs worldwide and a workforce where 70% are platform-certified, the company is just standing as a vendor, but a long-term transformation partner.
“Nigeria has always been a nation of transformation,” said Nidal Abou-Ltaif, chief revenue and transformation officer at TeKnowledge. “From the ancient trade networks of Kano to the fintech revolution and Nollywood’s global rise, progress here has always been driven by purpose. Today, Nigerian business leaders aren’t just exploring AI—they’re acting on it with urgency, focus, and vision.”
In prioritising local capacity, the company is going beyond enabling digital change, to providing Africa’s businesses, governments, and institutions with the talent and systems they need to stay resilient in the hostile cyber and economic environment.
“You cannot become an AI company before becoming a data company. And to become a data company, you must master data across all of its five stages,” Portnoy stated.
TeKnowledge says it is ready to help African organisations do just that.
