Cybersecurity in the age of AI: Africa’s strategic moment

Source Domain: www.uneca.org

Addis Ababa, 24 June 2026 (ECA) – The inaugural International Conference on Cybersecurity in the Era of Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence opened today at the United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, bringing together policymakers, cybersecurity practitioners, researchers, technology leaders, and development partners from across Africa.

Convened jointly by the Ethiopian Cybersecurity Association (ECySA) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the two-day conference, held under the theme Risks, Resilience and Africa’s Strategic Imperatives marks a significant step in building a continental platform for evidence-based dialogue on the intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.

Opening the conference, ECA Deputy Executive Secretary for Programme Support Mama Keita framed the stakes plainly: artificial intelligence is no longer confined to information processing. It now generates knowledge, shapes institutions, and supports decision-making at every level of society, and its implications for security are profound.

“Every technological revolution creates opportunity but seldom distributes it equally. Those who invest, innovate, and govern with foresight reap the greatest benefits, while those who hesitate risk relegation to the role of consumers rather than creators of the future.”
— Mama Keita, Deputy Executive Secretary (Programme Support), ECA

The conference was officially declared open by Mrs. Tigist Hamid, Director General of the Information Network Security Administration (INSA), who traced Ethiopia’s cybersecurity journey over the past eight years. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopia has enacted a landmark legislative framework, including the Critical Infrastructure Protection Proclamation, the Data Protection Proclamation, the Electronic Transaction and Signature Proclamations, and the Cybercrime Proclamation, positioning the country as a benchmark for digital governance…

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