With today’s technologies, cyber threats are increasing and crossing borders. It makes the unification of the African continent necessary to fight the growing danger and to create a common front. With this in mind, Benin hosted the fifth edition of the Cyber Africa Forum in Cotonou last June. The theme of this year’s edition was: “Strengthening Digital Resilience: A call for a new mindset”. More than a thousand participants attended the event to discuss the rising Threat in cyberspace.

The word “resilience” played a key role in the forum. The General Commissioner emphasised that one of Africa’s significant challenges is the lack of risk anticipation. Resilience and anticipation are both essential qualities for planning the future and effectively tackling cyber threats. In this spirit, Benin put in place two key policies: securing the state information systems and protecting critical information infrastructures. To support these efforts, Benin promotes youth training through the Hacker Lab, which started in 2017. This training aims to identify and train young talents in cybersecurity. After their training, participants join a national operational team to help protect the country from cyber threats.

Business continuity and recovery after a cyber attack are also central to Benin’s cybersecurity strategy. These initiatives highlight Benin’s primary goal: “to be a continental benchmark in cybersecurity and digital sovereignty”. Benin’s Minister of Digital Affairs, Aurélie Adam Soulé Zoumarou, stated: “If there is a change of mindset to make, this is it. People are the first firewall against cybercrime”. Through this statement, Benin wants to share its expertise in this field by bringing together private and public sector actors.

Thanks to these discussions and collaboration, the forum aimed to find lasting, actionable solutions. The central question that was raised: How can we build a true African cyber defence strategy? During the event, meetings were held with government officials, private sector leaders, technical experts, regulators, international partners, and several concrete solutions were proposed. The creation of specialised institutions, clear regulatory frameworks, inclusive public awareness campaigns, and practical initiatives such as hackathons and crisis management exercises were identified as key tools.

The Cyber Africa Forum marks a vital step in building a united defence against cyber threats. It reaffirms that collaboration and partnership across Africa are crucial in fighting this menace, which transcends territorial boundaries. Youth training is also essential in shaping the defenders of tomorrow. As an association dedicated to Africa’s development, we are proud to see a global threat being addressed through collaboration and education, thereby strengthening the African continent. Education was a central theme of the forum, and it is one we also promote through our campaigns, as we believe it is key to building the Africa of tomorrow.

Blogpost by Aaliyah