This week, Business Africa makes a stop in Benin for a special edition focused on three pillars of its economic and digital transformation.
At the heart of this edition is the Cyber Africa Forum in Cotonou, where Benin stands out as a key player in digital resilience on the continent. There is also a spotlight on the evolving cotton industry with the ambition to create local value, and finally, a look inside modern markets, symbols of visible development yet still disconnected from the daily reality of many citizens.
The Cyber Africa Forum calls for digital resilience in Africa with Benin leading the way
The fifth edition of the Cyber Africa Forum was held on June 24 and 25 in Cotonou. The central theme was the resilience of African digital ecosystems. More than a thousand participants from across the continent gathered to discuss the growing threats in cyberspace and the concrete responses needed.
The forum’s general commissioner, Franck Kié, emphasized the strategic importance of resilience. According to him, it has become a vital necessity because the continent has not always been able to anticipate risks. He states that this theme is concrete and means the need to anticipate, plan for, and prepare for the current and future shocks that Africa is facing.
Franck Kié, General Commissioner of the Cyber Africa Forum, at the opening of the event in Cotonou, Benin, on June 24, 2025. CAF
As the host country, Benin stands out for its commitment. In just a few years, it has made a significant leap in the Global Cybersecurity Index, moving from 149th to 56th place worldwide, and now ranks sixth in Africa. This progress stems from a rigorous national strategy. The Director General of the National Center for Digital Investigations, Ouanilo Médégan Fagla, explained that Benin is working to strengthen the capacity of stakeholders to design resilient information systems from the ground up. He stressed that resilience also involves a rapid and effective response to incidents.
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