Digital Transition: Senegal's Cybersecurity Challenges at the Heart of the Cyber Africa Forum 2026

The sixth edition of the Cyber ​​Africa Forum will be held on November 16 and 17, 2026, in Cotonou, Benin, specifically at the Sofitel Cotonou Marina Hotel & Spa. Under the theme "Building Tomorrow's Digital Trust," this major event expects more than 1,500 participants, including African ministers, business leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, national digital agencies, and international experts. For Franck Kié, founder and General Commissioner of the forum, this geographical choice "reflects strategic continuity" following the success of the previous edition. He also emphasizes that "returning to Benin for a second consecutive year speaks volumes about the confidence we place in this country."

The 2026 edition aims to broaden the debate to address crucial themes such as "artificial intelligence, algorithmic sovereignty, cyber diplomacy, disinformation, data protection, digital identity," and "financing the African digital economy." Among the major new features announced, the forum will launch a "College of Experts" bringing together professionals from academia, public institutions, businesses, and international organizations. This will be complemented by the "Tech 4 Creatives" initiative, dedicated to the uses of AI in creative industries, and a "HackerLab" focused on combating cybercrime.

This continental meeting "resonates particularly strongly in Senegal," which recently launched the "Horizon 2034 New Deal for Technology." This ambitious national strategy aims to make digital technology "an engine of sovereignty, employment, and growth." The ten-year plan includes "12 programs and 50 priority projects over ten years" to increase the digital sector's contribution to "15% of GDP," generate "150,000 direct jobs," and ensure that "100% of sensitive data" is hosted within the national territory by 2034. This momentum is driven by rapidly increasing usage, with internet penetration in Senegal reaching "116.55%" in the fourth quarter of 2024.

However, this hyperconnectivity exposes the country to a surge in risks. Kaspersky statistics reveal that "more than 10 million cyber threats were detected in Senegal in 2024," while password theft attacks "almost doubled in a year," rising from "more than 35,000 in 2023 to more than 71,000 in 2024." In this context of vulnerability, the forum emphasizes that Senegal's digital ambitions "can only reach their full potential if citizens, businesses, and investors have confidence in digital services, data protection, and infrastructure resilience." For the Senegalese government, the challenge now lies in making this trust "not only a security requirement, but also a lever for attractiveness, sovereignty, and competitiveness."