In a bid to stem the rising tide of cybercrime in Cameroon and Kenya, officials from both countries are planning to establish a common platform to be shared between Cameroon’s National Agency for Information and Communication Technologies (ANTIC) and the Communications Authority of Kenya.

The need for inter-state cooperation was raised in Yaounde on 14 March 2022 as interns from Kenya’s National Defence College began a week-long study tour in Cameroon.

Director General of ANTIC Professor Ebot Ebot Enaw said cloud, big data, advance analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning and IOT are enablers of digital transformation and key drivers of sustainable development.

He said while these technologies are reshaping entire industries, it is not without risks. “With Cameroon and Kenya progressively increasing access to broadband internet, issues relating to cyber security and cybercrime are emerging and as such, there is a pressing need to ensure that citizens, governments and businesses are protected.”

Enaw added that the exponential increase in the use of ICT and real-time borderless exchange of information “has made cyber security a complex transnational issue” that requires global cooperation in ensuring a safe cyber community.

Major Dmitry Gwandho from the National Defence College of Kenya added that regional cooperation is paramount in securing the African continent. “Cameroon is a brother to Kenya and partners in security and the development of the African continent,” said Gwandho.

During their stay in Cameroon, the Kenya delegation, including Brigadier Mwamburi Joakim of the National Defence College Kenya, and Rosemary Ochieng, First Counsellor at the Kenyan High Commission, Abuja-Nigeria, will visit several IT and tech organisations including the Telecommunications Regulatory Board, Cameroon Telecommunications, African Institute of Computer Sciences, and National Advanced School of Engineering.