Inspirational student wants to ‘protect humanity’ by combating cybercrime in Africa

MSc Cybersecurity MDX student driven by a mission to build Africa’s first AI-powered phishing defence system

In 2022, Emmanuel Orgu was working as a cybersecurity engineer at a leading bank in Nigeria. It was a stable job with clear career prospects — but he says something felt missing.

Emmanuel had initially applied to MDX in 2020 but was unable to take up his place because of funding challenges. That changed in 2023, when he applied to become a Chevening Scholar. Fully funded UK government scholarships that support individuals with leadership potential to complete a one-year master's degree at a UK university. 

Emmanuel knew the scholarships were competitive and believes information on the MDX website helped with his interview. He describes the moment he found out that he had been selected as Chevening Scholar as one of the biggest moments in his life and a turning point as his dream of studying overseas could become a reality.

“I was looking for a programme that evolved with the industry and the MSc Cybersecurity course at MDX constantly updates its modules and technologies — that really impressed me. Between my first application in 2020 and my second in 2024, I saw how much had changed. That told me MDX was serious about staying relevant.”

Emmanuel Orgu

MDX was always Emmanuel's first choice and when started in September 2024 he says his experiences exceeded all expectations.

“I remember Dr Mahdi Aiash’s first lecture so clearly. No one had ever said cybersecurity was about humanity and economic stability. It’s so much more than firewalls and policies but about people, trust and protecting lives and livelihoods in a digital world.”

As part of his course Emmanuel has identified a major gap, how many global cybersecurity tools fail to understand African data and context. This insight became the focus of his thesis and future mission.

“Most phishing detectors aren’t trained on African data and miss the scam patterns we face daily. So, I built one that works for us - CheckThatURL.com. It’s my mission to combat cybercrime in Africa.”

Commenting Emmanuel's achievements, Dr Mahdi Aiash, Associate Professor in Computer Science at MDX, said:

“Emmanuel’s journey perfectly reflects what we strive for at MDX, fostering students to leverage technology for high impact. I remember when we briefly talked about the future, what struck me most was his genuine commitment to return home and contribute to his country’s cybersecurity resilience. His project shows that innovation driven by purpose can strengthen global resilience and build safer online communities and this is at the core of our research in cybersecurity at MDX”

Emmanuel is planning to refine his phishing system so that it blocks scams before they even reach individuals. With the support of Chevening he submitted his system to the Central Bank of Nigeria and is waiting to hear back.

Returning to Nigeria, Emmanuel has been welcomed back by his former employer but now brings with him advanced expertise, international experience, and a renewed sense of purpose.

Find out more about Computer Science at Middlesex University.