TRP’25 Comes to an End: A New Chapter for Cybersecurity Research at The Birdling

For the past few months, The Birdling has been running Threat Research Program 2025 (TRP’25), our first large-scale volunteer program designed to train, challenge, and empower the next generation of cybersecurity talent in Africa.

Now, the program has officially ended, and we are proud to share what we achieved together.

What TRP’25 Was About

TRP’25 was not a normal internship. It was a real-world research program where students, early-career professionals, and volunteers worked on projects that looked into the most pressing cyber threats today.

The program was fully online, allowing us to accept participants across Nigeria and beyond. Each volunteer was given real tasks in:

Phishing and fraud investigations
Threat intelligence gathering
OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) research
Red Team and Blue Team exercises
Cyber awareness projects

Instead of just teaching theory, TRP’25 gave volunteers the chance to do the actual work of a cybersecurity researcher, studying live cases, creating reports, and learning how cybercriminals operate.

Why We Launched TRP’25

The Birdling has always been focused on cybersecurity research and threat intelligence. We believe that the African cybersecurity community needs more than awareness campaigns, it needs hands-on programs where people can learn by doing.

Many students across Nigeria and Africa do not get enough practical exposure during school. TRP’25 was designed to fill that gap while also helping The Birdling and our partners track threats that matter to everyday people.

What Volunteers Worked On

During the program, TRP’25 volunteers worked on:

Collecting and analyzing hundreds of phishing emails and scam domains
Investigating fraud tactics used in social engineering
Tracking suspicious numbers and fake financial service accounts
Creating cybersecurity awareness content to help non-technical users understand scams

Teamwork Across Africa and Beyond

TRP’25 was fully remote, bringing together over 160 applicants who joined different teams. Each team was guided, not just with instructions, but also with the freedom to make mistakes and learn.

Our CEO, Praise Chukwunonye, led some of the sessions personally, reminding everyone that research is not just about tools, but about mindset.

What Comes Next?

With TRP’25 now closed, every volunteer leaves with:

A Certificate of Completion
A stronger portfolio of cybersecurity projects
A clearer career path in areas like threat intelligence, penetration testing, risk management, and security awareness

This is not the end of their journey, but the start of something bigger. Many of our volunteers are now ready to take their skills into professional spaces, while some will continue to collaborate with The Birdling on future projects.

TRP’25 showed us that Africa is full of young minds ready to take on the challenges of cybersecurity. The Birdling is proud to have created this space for them to grow, learn, and contribute.

To every volunteer: thank you for being part of this journey.
To every partner and supporter: thank you for standing with us.