ECOWAS Steps Up Cybersecurity Defense

LOMÉ, Togo, August 11, 2026 – The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is stepping up efforts to strengthen regional defenses against cyber threats by building a pool of certified cybersecurity auditors capable of assessing and improving incident-response systems across West Africa.

Thirty-eight cybersecurity professionals from ECOWAS Member States and partner institutions participated in a Certified Security Incident Management Maturity Model (SIM3) Auditor Training held from August 4 to 6 in Lomé, Togo.

According to an ECOWAS Commission release, the training is intended to strengthen the capacity of Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs) across the region and improve cooperation among Member States in responding to increasingly sophisticated and cross-border cyber threats.

The initiative is being implemented under the Joint Platform for Advancing Cybersecurity (JPAC), supported by the German Federal Foreign Office and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

The training was delivered by the Open CSIRT Foundation (OCF) and hosted by Cyber Defense Africa (CDA), operator of Togo’s national Computer Emergency Response Team, CERT.tg, with participation from TrustBroker Africa.

ECOWAS said the growing cross-border nature of cyber threats requires Member States to adopt common approaches to preparedness, assessment and response.

The training therefore seeks to equip cybersecurity professionals with internationally recognized tools to evaluate and strengthen their countries’ incident-response capabilities.

At the center of the program is the Security Incident Management Maturity Model (SIM3), a framework used to assess and improve the operational, organizational and governance capabilities of cybersecurity incident-response teams.

According to ECOWAS, adopting a shared assessment methodology will help promote trust, interoperability and collaboration among cybersecurity institutions across West Africa.

The Commission said the initiative is also designed to develop a sustainable pool of West African trainers who can conduct future SIM3 Auditor Certification programs across the continent.

Building local training capacity, it said, is expected to reduce reliance on external expertise while expanding the number of certified auditors available to support cybersecurity institutions across Africa.

Beyond strengthening individual national incident-response teams, ECOWAS said the program will contribute to greater regional coordination through the ECOWAS Information Sharing and Analysis Centre (ISAC).

The center was established under the JPAC initiative to provide a platform for Member States to share cyber-threat intelligence and coordinate responses to emerging cybersecurity risks.

With several participants in the training drawn from the ISAC community, ECOWAS said the exercise is expected to strengthen information sharing, mutual trust and coordinated responses among Member States.

The Commission said the initiative forms part of broader efforts to build a more resilient and self-reliant cybersecurity ecosystem capable of responding to evolving digital threats across West Africa.