When I returned to Nigeria after completing my MSc in Cybersecurity and Pen Testing at Middlesex University, I expected a sense of clarity. In many ways, I got it – but I also discovered something equally important: real-world systems are far messier than academic problems, and meaningful impact requires more than technical correctness.
During my MSc, my focus was firmly on cybersecurity – understanding threats, analysing phishing patterns, and designing systems to protect users from harm. My dissertation work, which later evolved into an AI-powered phishing detection tool, was rooted in a simple belief: that cybersecurity is ultimately about people, not just systems.
That belief stayed with me after graduation.