THE SUMMIT: WHY NOW?

Africa is undergoing a dramatic digital transformation. This transformation has been facilitated by the rapid migration towards digital technology and growth in digital services provided by both businesses and governments.

Governments have implemented many far-reaching reforms over the past decade, which are more concretely introducing in Africa the notions of digital identity, digitisation of government services (e-government), biometrics and financial inclusion through digital solutions such as mobile money services.

However, these shifts, which are also profoundly changing our societies by revolutionising the economy, offering countless opportunities and reshaping our daily lives and even our social relations, bring with them new challenges in cyber security.

As these threats have no geographical boundaries, cyber security measures require strong international cooperation. This is the very essence of the Lomé Cybersecurity Summit, which brought together head of state and ministers, private sector and civil society leaders to engage in high-level dialogue and allowed to articulate cooperation and coordination solutions namely by the Lomé Declaration adoption, to respond to the urgent cyber security issues facing all African actors.