{"id":111891,"date":"2025-10-02T13:12:29","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T13:12:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/cyber-defence-forum-in-kigali-shapes-africas-digital-future"},"modified":"2025-10-02T14:28:02","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T14:28:02","slug":"cyber-defence-forum-in-kigali-shapes-africas-digital-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/cyber-defence-forum-in-kigali-shapes-africas-digital-future","title":{"rendered":"Cyber Defence Forum in Kigali Shapes Africa’s Digital Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. <\/strong><\/span>Africa cannot claim digital sovereignty without taking bold steps to control its own data, infrastructure, and cyber defences, leaders said on Tuesday, October 2, at the Africa Cyber Defence Forum in Kigali.<\/p>\n

The sixth edition of the forum brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and cybersecurity experts to tackle one of the continent\u2019s most urgent challenges: How to secure Africa\u2019s fast-growing digital economies against escalating cyber threats while reducing dependency on foreign technologies.<\/p>\n

David Kanamugire, CEO of Rwanda\u2019s National Cyber Security Agency, noted that Africa has the challenge of confronting uncomfortable realities about its vulnerability in the digital age.<\/p>\n

David Kanamugire, CEO of Rwanda\u2019s National Cyber Security Agency, speaks at the Africa Cyber Defence Forum, in Kigali on Wednesday, October 1.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can we be sovereign if less than 2% of global data centre capacity is in Africa, and even that is not owned by Africans?\u201d he asked. \u201cWe must find the courage to address the serious issues that will shape our digital future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kanamugire said the forum was not a routine gathering but an important assembly that deliberates on the future of the African continent.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not just a conference,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s about deciding Africa\u2019s future in the digital age.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s edition ran under the theme \u201cTowards a Secure and Sovereign Digital Africa.\u201d Officials pointed to the promise of digital transformation, but also warned of the dangers Africa faces if it fails to keep pace.<\/p>\n

Rwanda\u2019s Minister of ICT and Innovation, Paula Musoni, reminded participants of the scale of cyber threats.<\/p>\n

\u201cCybercrime has already cost us billions, but beyond the money, it undermines trust and threatens national sovereignty,\u201d Ingabire said. \u201cIf one African country is vulnerable, the entire continent is exposed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ingabire outlined Rwanda\u2019s measures to strengthen its resilience, including the launch of a continental cyber hub centre of excellence, designed to serve as a platform for research, training, and collaboration.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis hub will be open to all Africans,\u201d she said, adding that Rwanda is also introducing new university programmes in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to build the next generation of specialists.<\/p>\n

The minister pressed for harmonised legislation across Africa, pointing to gaps in data protection and privacy laws, and called for investment in talent pipelines to prevent brain drain.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfrica cannot afford to move incrementally when the threats are growing exponentially. The time for action is now,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI challenge every single company represented here. Do not leave our young talents behind. Offer them placements, mentorships, and opportunities to grow. Our sovereignty depends not only on infrastructure but also on people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gilbert Nyandeje, founder and CEO of the Africa Cyber Defence Forum, argued that sovereignty cannot exist without local innovation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not sovereignty when we depend on foreign solutions. This is dependency, and that is a disease we must cure,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Nyandeje urged participants to treat the forum as a platform for tangible action. \u201cWhen you leave this forum, we don\u2019t just want speeches. We want MOUs signed, data centres built, investments made. That is our metric of success,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n

He emphasised that if Africa hopes to avoid being locked into perpetual dependency on external actors, it must own its digital foundations, resilient data centres, sovereign cloud systems, and trusted AI infrastructure.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout these foundations, Africa will always be a customer and never an architect. Think about that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Officials pose for a family photo at the Africa Cyber Defence Forum in Kigali on Wednesday, October 1.<\/p>\n

The forum also focused on the need for stronger collaboration among African states, particularly in sharing intelligence on cyber threats. Officials noted that cybercrime is inherently transnational, with criminals often exploiting porous borders and weak enforcement mechanisms.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo single country can do it alone,\u201d Nyandeje said. \u201cWe must create frameworks for sharing threat intelligence across the continent to protect our critical infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Officials also discussed updating outdated legal instruments, such as the African Union\u2019s Malabo Convention on data protection and cybersecurity, which was adopted in 2014.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe realities we live in today are not the same as those we had in 2014,\u201d Nyandeje noted, calling for policymakers to modernise legal frameworks to keep pace with emerging threats.<\/p>\n\r\n