Nigeria - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

YAC is a youth-driven intervention aimed at reducing the involvement of young people in cybercrime activities in Nigeria. This project seeks to support young ones by addressing their vulnerabilities & helping them develop positive skills as an alternative

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

Cybersecurity Education Initiative (CYSED) is a youth-led non-profit organization committed to preventing cybercrime, advancing cybersecurity and promoting digital development in Africa through innovative, sustainable education and advocacy. CYSED aims to promote a safer digital space by empowering individuals, organizations, and communities with the necessary knowledge, skills and tools to tackle the ever-evolving cyber threat landscape. Our key thematic areas include Digital Inclusion, Cybersecurity Awareness, Capacity Building, Cyber Diplomacy, Research, Development & Innovation, and Digital Rights & Data Privacy.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

Cybercrime is a serious issue that negatively impacts socioeconomic, and political dynamics, and structures. Cybercrime as an empire would be the world's third-largest economy, this will cost the world over $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. This is a global concern and the perpetrators are everywhere including Nigeria which has been identified as a hot spot in the global stage . The involvement of our youth is caused by many factors including poverty, and low level of education amongst others. It is essential to address this issue by reducing the number of people involved in cybercrime and preventing those with a high risk of getting involved, especially young people, who are more vulnerable to being lured into it. The Youth Against Cybercrime intervention aims to tackle this problem by providing alternative pathways to these young people.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your startup provides (at least 3).

Below are the Major benefits of this project: - To reduce the involvement of young people in cybercrime by providing alternative pathways to at-risk youth with comprehensive digital or vocational skills training. - To facilitate meaningful internship opportunities for participants to apply their acquired skills in real-world settings and a means of economic Upliftment. - To gradually change the negative narrative of Nigerians in the global, as we actively combat this societal disfunction. - To equip at-risk youths with the mental strength and positive mindset necessary to resist engaging in anti-social behaviour or criminal activities. - To equip participants with entrepreneurial skills to make a legitimate source of livelihood. - To raise awareness of the potential consequences of illegal or unethical behaviours online

01.04 Please describe who exactly your startup’s product/service is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

The primary target beneficiaries of this project will be at-risk youth between the age of 16 - 25 in hot zones(geographical location with high rate of SOC activities e.g Lagos ,Edo, Ogun e.t.c) who are at risk of engaging in cybercrime. The project will also benefit the wider community by reducing the impact of cybercrime and promoting a safer digital environment.

01.05 When was your company established?

2023-02-07

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

Yes

01.07 How many other owners are there within your startup?

2

01.08 Among the other owners, how many are female?

0

01.09 Please describe the profile of the other owners within your startup (skills, experience, etc.)

Moses Joshua - He is a Cybersecurity Engineer and a Digital Development consultant, with 4 years of working experience. He is a skilled project manager with several international projects working for TAG International. He also has some industry-recognized awards and cybersecurity certificates. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjofcyber/ Oluwatobi Ayodele is a multifaceted cybersecurity professional, with experience covering different cybersecurity verticals from government, telcos, fintech and private consultancy. He's a Certified Information Systems Security Professional - CISSP and also a certified ethical hacker. He is also serves as an Security Engineer, where he conducts comprehensive security assessments and audits across a wide spectrum of technologies and networks. https://www.linkedin.com/in/oluwatobi-ayodele/

01.10 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link(s) here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QasZD08ibkvZqrMl_SJ0SbkzdVxqYnehZ7eID0WnJw8/edit?usp=sharing

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

j) Public services

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

4

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

One of the major obstacles to food security in Nigeria is the cost of food. Our current climate, marked by banditry and insurgency, has made trade routes dangerous and unplowable. Additionally, the hike in fuel prices has significantly increased transportation fees, further driving up the cost of transporting food across the country. Using technology and education, CYSED has been able to promote digital development for women traders in Plateau State through the initiative "Digital Literacy For Women Traders" (DL4WT). This initiative aims to provide these women with digital empowerment to market their businesses online, allowing them to communicate directly with diverse market opportunities, especially the final consumer. By cutting out the middlemen who tend to inflate prices, this initiative helps bring a level of price control. This initiative aligns with SDG Target 2.3: "By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women.."

02.03.01 My startup contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

2

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification for my startup

02.04.01 My startup contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

As our name implies, "Cybersecurity Education Initiative," we aim to promote a safer digital space by empowering individuals, organizations, and communities with the necessary education, skills, and tools to tackle the ever-evolving cyber threat landscape. Our organization is committed to preventing cybercrime and advancing cybersecurity in Africa through innovative and sustainable education and advocacy. The "Youth Against Cybercrime" project closely aligns with Target 4.4 of this Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), which aims to substantially increase the number of youth & adults who have relevant skills, including technical & vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship. These relevant skills and education provide an alternative path away from cybercrime. Nigeria is a great talent hub in the world. With the right education, we can create model citizens who contribute positively to their immediate community and help keep the community safe from cybercrime.

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

Recent statistics highlight the extent of this digital gender gap, particularly in regions like Nigeria, where women lag behind men in internet access by 37%. Plateau State, reflects this trend, underscoring the urgent need to address digital inequality and empower women traders with essential digital skills. Our organization in a bid to bridge this digital divide organized a transformative initiative "Digital Literacy For Women Traders" - DWALT which objecctive aimed at bridging the digital divide and empowering women traders in Plateau State. These women are engaged in diverse businesses such as poultry farming, livestock trading, foodstuff stores, rice processing, vegetable and fruit sales, general trading, animal food production, spare parts sales, and traditional food processing like smoked fish and crayfish. This initiative perfectly aligns with target 5.b of this sustainable development goal

02.06.01 My startup contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

2

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification for my startup

02.07.01 My startup contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification for my startup

02.08.01 My startup contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

6

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification for my startup

Our project aims to provide at-risk youth with a viable alternative to cybercrime by providing skills and education that can serve as an alternative. Our target beneficiaries are from communities with limited opportunities and circumtanially

02.09.01 My startup contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

4

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification for my startup

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

2

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

02.11.01 My startup contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

2

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification for my startup

02.12.01 My startup contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

2

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification for my startup

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

2

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification for my startup

02.16.01 My startup contributes to the Peace Justice and Strong Institutions goal

2

02.16.02 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions- Justification for my startup

02.17.01 My startup contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

4

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification for my startup

06.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

2

06.02 The product/service represents an entirely new type of product/service.

6

06.03 The product/service could be described as a new technology.

5

06.04 The product/service is an improvement on an existing product or service.

2

06.05 The product/service could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

5

06.06 The product/service responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

4

06.07 The product/service is a new version of an old product/service.

2

06.08 Justification for my startup

Over the years, the approach to tackling cybercrime has primarily focused on arresting the perpetrators, overlooking the fact that cybercrime is a societal dysfunction that cannot simply be arrested away. Our approach is prevention. We aim to cut off the problem at its source by targeting those at risk of engaging in cybercrime or those who have just started and can still backtrack before fully committing to a life of crime. We have implemented several initiatives as test beds to evaluate and refine our approaches, continually improving our methods and impact.

06.09 Competitive Analysis

Currently, there is no other organization taking the fight to cybercrime like we are. We are precise about our approaches and target identification to ensure we reach bright minds before crime does. Our curriculum goes beyond just imparting skills. We have infused several components into our approach, including resilience-building sessions, psychological support, movie screenings, safe space discussions, and one-on-one mentoring sessions to ensure we change their mindset holistically.

11.05 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?