Progress
38%Aim
The AU Cyber Security flagship builds a continent-wide legal and technical framework to protect African digital infrastructure, reduce cybercrime losses estimated at USD 4 billion or more annually, and ensure that African citizens and institutions can participate safely in the digital economy.
Progress to date
The Malabo Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection entered into force in June 2023 after reaching 15 ratifications. As of early 2025, 16 of 55 AU member states have ratified the Convention. The AU also established the African Cyber Security Centre of Excellence to provide technical assistance to member states.
Challenges
None of Africa's largest digital economies have ratified the Malabo Convention, national cyber legislation is highly fragmented, and most member states lack the technical capacity and budget to enforce cybersecurity frameworks effectively.
Next steps
The AU Commission is conducting targeted diplomatic outreach to major non-ratifiers, developing model national cyber legislation, and building the Centre of Excellence into a functional incident-response and training hub by 2026.