As cyber threats grow in complexity and scale, particularly in a rapidly digitalising West Africa, strengthening cybersecurity and international cooperation has become imperative to safeguard sustainable development and foster regional cyber resilience.
The above was made yesterday, when the ECOWAS Commission, in partnership with the German Federal Foreign Office and the European Union, under the Joint Platform for Advancing Cyber Security, hosted a High-Level Briefing and Workshop on Cyber Diplomacy for the ECOWAS Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) in Abuja.
While declaring open the event, the German Ambassador to Nigeria, Annett Gūnther, stated: “In an era where cyber threats know no borders, diplomacy is key to defend our shared values of security, trust, and cooperation in cyberspace.
“Cyber diplomacy promotes cross-border cooperation and represents a crucial stride towards fostering a more secure and interconnected cyberspace – globally, and particularly here in West Africa.”
She said the workshop was aimed at enhancing awareness of cybersecurity as a strategic foreign policy issue and fostering regional dialogue on cyber diplomacy.
According to the envoy, who spoke on behalf of the German Embassy, “the event forms part of the ECOWAS-Germany-EU initiative on advancing cyber security.”
She added: “It seeks to implement the ECOWAS Cybersecurity Action Plan developed jointly under Germany’s G7 Presidency with a focus on building cyber diplomacy skills, advancing confidence-building measures (CBMs), and strengthening critical infrastructure across the region.”
Earlier, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalisation, Sediko Douka, and Chair of the ECOWAS PRC, Ambassador Musa Nuhu, in their remarks, stressed the strategic value of digital resilience and multilateral engagement.
The workshop, they affirmed, “marked another milestone in the ongoing implementation of the ECOWAS Cybersecurity Agenda and reaffirmed the commitment of all partners to strengthening regional security, trust, and sustainable digital transformation.”
