The Director-General of the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), Mr. Divine Selassie Agbeti, has called on African countries to adopt emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain, and quantum computing responsibly to ensure that digital transformation drives economic growth, innovation, and inclusion, rather than inequality and vulnerability.
Mr. Agbeti said Africa’s economic future would be shaped by how responsibly it harnesses technology for industrial transformation and digital trade.
The conference, jointly organized by the Ghana Communication Technology University (GCTU) and the Namibia University of Science and Technology, focuses on how emerging technologies can accelerate sustainable development and competitiveness in the digital economy.
Mr. Agbeti cautioned that while AI, robotics, and digital finance tools hold immense potential for economic productivity, they also expose Africa to cyber threats, misinformation, and widening digital inequality.
“The very technologies driving innovation are also expanding our exposure to cyber threats, misinformation, data breaches, and digital inequality,” he said. “The challenge is not just to adopt these technologies, but to adopt them responsibly guided by principles of security, accountability, and inclusivity.”
He revealed that between January and March 2025, the CSA recorded 305 online fraud cases, compared to 194 during the same period in 2024, with financial losses rising to GHC4.4 million.
Losses from online blackmail and sextortion also increased nearly fivefold, while total cybercrime-related losses between January and September 2025 exceeded GHC19 million.
Mr. Agbeti stressed that cybersecurity must be seen as a strategic business investment, not a regulatory burden. “Cybersecurity is not a cost; it’s an enabler of innovation and socio-economic development. Without data trust, the promise of emerging technologies will falter,” he said.
He announced that the CSA is integrating cybersecurity education into Ghana’s national curriculum, from basic to tertiary levels to build a generation of tech-literate and security-conscious citizens.
The initiative aims to support Ghana’s digital entrepreneurship ecosystem, safeguard small businesses, and ensure long-term investor confidence in the digital economy.
“Innovation without security is vulnerability,” he added, emphasizing the Authority’s commitment to collaborating with government, academia, and international partners to promote cybersecurity standards and build capacity across Africa’s digital landscape.
Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Education, said Africa must shift from being a consumer of global technology to a creator of innovation-driven economies.
He noted that Ghana is investing heavily in STEM, TVET modernization, and digital literacy to equip its workforce for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
He announced plans to integrate AI, data analytics, green technology, and digital ethics into tertiary education, urging universities to evolve into innovation ecosystems that bridge academia and industry.
“We must prepare our youth to be innovators, not spectators, in the global digital economy,” he said.
Experts at the conference agreed that Africa’s competitiveness in the next decade will depend on how effectively it manages digital risks while building trust-based economies.
Investments in cybersecurity infrastructure, ethical AI frameworks, and data governance are now essential to attract digital FDI, scale e-commerce, and sustain fintech growth.
Professor Ebenezer Malcalm, Acting Pro-Vice Chancellor of GCTU, said the university was committed to developing a new generation of digitally skilled professionals capable of powering Africa’s transition into the Fourth and Fifth Industrial Revolutions.
Co-chair of the conference, Professor Jude Odiakaosa Osakwe of the Namibia University of Science and Technology, said there were plans to expand the platform to other universities across the continent to deepen collaboration in research and innovation.
