Africa’s digital future hinges on effective governance and combating cybercrime to foster economic growth, trust, and innovation while addressing significant gaps in digital literacy among leaders.
As the first quarter of the 21st century passes, it is becoming increasingly clear that Africa’s ability to catch up with the rest of the world will depend on how effectively we embrace and shape our digital future.
Our economic growth, the resilience of our institutions, and the hopes of our citizens will all be shaped by the choices we make now about how we understand and govern digital technology. If we fail to take this responsibility seriously, we risk locking ourselves into dependency that could persist for generations. This is a responsibility we cannot defer to future leaders, administrators and policymakers.
The urgency of the challenge is most evident in the growing threat of cybercrime. Global losses from cybercrime were projected to reach around $10.5-trillion by 2025, a cost that exceeds the total government spending of nearly every country and matches the combined budgets of the world’s largest economies. According to industry research, global cybercrime costs were already about $3-trillion in 2015, rising to approximately $6-trillion by 2021 and if unchecked, will continue to climb.
It should be stated clearly that the consequences of cybercrime and attacks are not solely financial. Cybercrime can disrupt essential services…