Ghana has become a hub for cyber security awareness
• Ghana adopted a cybersecurity model in 2017
• Ghana has become the hub for cyber capacity building in West Africa
• Ukraine and other European countries have been learning from Ghana’s expertise
A national cybersecurity advisor, Dr. Albert Antwi-Boasiako, has explained that Ghana’s robust cybersecurity structure has become a model for other countries including the Ukraine and Europe.
He said that with the adoption of a multi-sectoral governance structure in 2017, and the growing of home-based expert initiatives, the country has become a go-to for many West African countries in particular.
“In October 2017, Ghana adopted a multi-sectoral governance structure for national cybersecurity, leading to the establishment of the National Cybersecurity Inter-Ministerial Council, the National Cybersecurity. This architecture has been replicated in other sectors domestically. It has continued to serve as a national cybersecurity benchmark for a number of African countries.
“And more than five African countries have requested for direct assistance through the honourable minister to implement similar structures,” he said.
Dr. Albert Antwi-Boasiako, who is also the acting Director-General of the National Cybersecurity Authority, was speaking at the Official Launch of National Cyber Security Awareness Month 2021, the Launch of Cyber Security Authority, and the Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) Directive in Accra.
He further explained how the officials from Europe have also sought support from Ghana to enable them implement same in their respective countries, adding that tens of thousands of students have so far benefited from the sensitization exercise.
“Officials from Ukraine, and Europe, upon coming across Ghana’s model for awareness creation, requested for support to replicate same in their respective countries. Ghana has embarked on a journey for the protection of children under 18 years, through our collaboration with UNICEF.
“This initiative in 2019 alone sensitized more than 40,000 students across all the 16 regions in the country that we currently have. This model of awareness creation has been hailed globally, serving as a model for other countries to emulate. The ECOWAS Commission has requested Ghana to lead the cybersecurity development in the sub-region,” he said.
He also spoke about how this has won the country a regional spot as the hub for cyber security building in West Africa.
“And in 2018, at the sponsorship of the World Bank, more than 50 officials across all the 15 ECOWAS countries, visited Ghana to learn from our experience. The Council of ECOWAS again has chosen Ghana as the hub for cyber capacity building in the region. This is in view of our ability to have developed home-grown expertise in capacity-building programs in the region,” he said.