The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa has called on African countries to strengthen cybersecurity systems and build resilience against emerging threats associated with artificial intelligence and digital transformation.

The ECA deputy executive secretary for programme support, Mama Keita, said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

Ms Keita said the call was made at the inaugural International Conference on Cybersecurity in the Era of Digital Transformation and AI, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The two-day conference, convened jointly by the Ethiopian Cybersecurity Association (ECySA) and ECA, is bringing together policymakers, cybersecurity experts, researchers, technology leaders and development partners from across the continent.

According to Ms Keita, the conference seeks to establish a continental platform for evidence-based dialogue on the growing intersection between cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.

She said AI had evolved beyond information processing and was increasingly shaping institutions, generating knowledge and influencing decision-making across societies.

According to her, the technology’s implications for security are profound and require urgent policy attention.

“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,” she said.

Ms Keita stressed the need for African countries to invest in innovation, governance frameworks and digital capabilities to ensure they benefited fully from advances in AI while safeguarding critical systems and data. She said the conference was officially declared open by Tigist Hamid, director-general of Ethiopia’s Information Network Security Administration (INSA).

Mr Hamid highlighted Ethiopia’s progress in strengthening digital governance and cybersecurity over the past eight years under the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

She said the country had enacted several landmark proclamations, including the Critical Infrastructure Protection Proclamation, Data Protection Proclamation, Electronic Transactions and Signatures Proclamation, and the Cybercrime Proclamation.

According to her, the measures have positioned Ethiopia as a model for digital governance and cybersecurity regulation on the African continent.

Mr Hamid reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to cybersecurity education, technical training, research, innovation and talent development, as well as regional and international cooperation on digital resilience.

Ms Keita said in a keynote that Tsegaye Mekael, chief information security officer of Ethio Telecom, described secure digital transformation as a leadership journey rather than a purely technical undertaking.

He said the telecommunications company was leveraging AI to improve customer experience, optimise operations and anticipate future needs, while treating cybersecurity as a strategic enabler of economic growth and digital trust.

Mr Mekael said Africa had a unique opportunity to emerge as a global leader in financial technology, digital public services and innovation, provided adequate investments were made in cybersecurity foundations.

ECySA president Berhanu Beyene described the conference as the beginning of a sustained continental dialogue grounded in practical realities rather than theoretical frameworks.

“Cyber security is no longer an IT issue; it is a business, governance, research and national sovereignty priority. This conference brings together policymakers, innovators, researchers and practitioners who are shaping Africa’s digital future,” he said.

Mr Beyene said the gathering was the first edition of a recurring pan-African forum aimed at fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing on cybersecurity challenges and opportunities.

He added that the ECA headquarters in Addis Ababa would serve as the initiative’s institutional home.

(NAN)