(ATDA) – The 11e edition of the Assizes of Digital Transformation in Africa (ATDA) opened this Thursday, December 15 in Geneva, seat of multilateralism par excellence.
Under the theme ” Trust, sovereignty, inclusion: challenges and prospects for Africa », The 2022 edition of the ATDAs focused this year on the challenges posed by the emergence of digital technology in Africa in terms of security and data protection. Between January and August 2020, nearly 28 million cyberattacks targeted the African continent. This number underlines the extent to which cybersecurity is not a national or continental problem, but a global and cross-cutting one, as presented by Aurélie Adam Soule Zoumarou, Minister of Digital and Digitization of Benin from the start of his speech on the panel entitled ” Cybersecurity: what challenges for Africa? “.
Mariam Hamadou Ali, Minister of Digital Economy and Innovation of Djibouti, joined his Beninese counterpart, affirming that cybersecurity was a cross-cutting issue because it affected all sectors of the economy and administration.
In the continuity of these interventions, Youssef Ait Kaddour, Chief Cybersecurity and Privacy Officer (CSO) at Huawei Morocco, spoke about the role of cybersecurity as the cornerstone of a digital, intelligent and secure world. ” While new technologies represent enormous potential for the African digital economy, they also reveal a number of issues and challenges related to cybersecurity and data protection. “, he noted, before adding: “ Data is indeed a strategic issue for companies and public administrations and its protection has become a prerequisite for a secure digital transformation. »
If the observation is accepted by all, the low level of investment and the lack of infrastructure unfortunately constitute an obstacle to the advent of real digital confidence in Africa. To pay Youssef Aït Kaddourit is crucial that Africa has its own infrastructure, a condition prerequisite to the digital sovereignty of countries.
This is also the opinion shared by Mohamadou Diallo, founder of ATDA. While he defines sovereignty as the ability of states to construct their own digital sovereignty, he stresses that this also involves mastering the issues related to cyberspace. ” The Covid-19 crisis has revealed Africa’s great dependence on the outside world. Or, it is important for African countries to take charge of their future. For this, we must master our technologies, channel them and host the data on our African lands. “, then added Mohamed Diallo.
Finally, the human factor is essential. Training in the sector of new technologies, cybersecurity and data protection, coupled with the implementation of appropriate legislation, allows Well African states to lead a smarter, inclusive and sustainable world. This is the conclusion shared by all the panelists, ministers and experts operating in the private sector, who spoke on the topic of cybersecurity. It will therefore be necessary to think in solidarity to make cybersecurity and digital sovereignty the foundations of a prosperous and competitive digital economy.
About Huawei
Founded in 1987, Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. We have 195,000 employees and are present in more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than three billion people around the world.
Our vision and mission is to bring digital to every person, home and organization for a smart, fully connected world. To this end, we will work towards ubiquitous connectivity and inclusive access to networks, thus laying the foundations for a smart world; we deliver diverse computing power where you need it, when you need it, to bring cloud and intelligence to every corner of the planet; we build digital platforms to help all industries and organizations become more agile, efficient and dynamic; and we will redefine the user experience through AI, making it smarter and more personalized for people in all aspects of their lives, whether at home, on the go, in the office, on the go. have fun or work out. For more information please visit our website www.huawei.com
About ATDAs
Organized by Cio Mag, the first pan-African magazine dedicated to digital in Africa, the ATDAs have become, over the years, a platform for exchanges and collective intelligence between Africans, Europeans, Asians and Americans. This annual event is an opportunity for participants to exchange best practices, identify new partners and new business opportunities on the continent. During the celebration of its 10 years of existence, the Conference on Digital Transformation in Africa met in Benguerir (Morocco), several hundred participants, including one composed of ministers and official delegations. From now on, the ATDAs are held alternately in Africa and Europe.
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