Co-organised by the Togolese Republic and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the Cyber Security Summit will be held on 23 and 24 March 2022 in Lomé, Togo. African businesses, civil society and governments meet in Lomé to make cyber security a top priority for African states.
By the editorial staff
Africa’s digital economy is expected to generate $180 billion by 2025, or 5.02% of the continent’s GDP, and reach $712 billion by 2050 (8.5% of the region’s GDP), according to the e-Conomy Africa report by Google and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). However, this fundamental technological transformation has not been followed by a corresponding effort in cybersecurity.
In September 2020, the antivirus company Kaspersky recalled that Africa had been the target of 28 million cyberattacks in the first eight months of the year 2020. In the same vein, a study conducted by the accounting firm EY & Associates in 2019-2020 estimated for its part that 37% of companies in French-speaking Africa do not have a department dedicated to cybersecurity.
« To come up with innovative ideas to promote operational cooperation »
« This situation presents immense challenges, ranging from data protection to system resilience and attacks. It therefore requires close collaboration from all stakeholders involved and tremendous action at all levels: local, national, sub-regional, regional, continental and global », said in a statement the organizers of the 1st summit on cybersecurity to be held in Lome on March 23 and 24.
“Now that regulatory frameworks have for the most part been implemented, we want to come up with innovative ideas to promote operational cooperation and address threats in a concrete and decisive way. As the digital space does not take into account the borders between our nations, we have no choice but to strengthen our collaboration and international cooperation,” Cina Lawson, Minister of Digital Economy and Transformation – Togolese Republic.
« Heads of state and government, private sector and civil society leaders to engage in high-level dialogue »
This is the purpose of this summit, which will be attended by prominent figures – including the President of the Togolese Republic, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, and the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Vera Songwe. « This event will bring together heads of state and government, private sector and civil society leaders to engage in high-level dialogue with a view to establishing an uncompromising analysis of cyber security issues and finding cooperation and coordination solutions to respond to the urgent cyber security challenges and issues facing all African actors ».
Among the announced objectives, put forth policy recommendations to be reviewed by African heads of state and government to create a cyber security system that meets the needs of the continent’s digital transformation and complies with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
An African cybersecurity market growing from $0.92 billion to $2.32 billion between 2015 and 2020
An opportunity to invite the private sector to explore the opportunities offered by the cybersecurity market:according to market research firm MarketsandMarkets, the African cybersecurity market would have grown from 0.92 billion to 2.32 billion dollars between 2015 and 2020. An almost three-fold market increase in just 5 years…
For more information : www.sommetcybersecuritelome.com
