Ghana Hosts 4th ECOWAS Cybersecurity Hackathon

Ghana is hosting the 2026 ECOWAS Regional Cybersecurity Hackathon in Accra, bringing together young cybersecurity professionals, ethical hackers, and technology innovators from across West Africa to develop solutions to growing cyber threats facing the region.

The event, organised by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission in partnership with the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), is aimed at strengthening regional cooperation and building the technical skills needed to respond to increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks.

Participants are expected to spend 48 hours designing and testing solutions that could help governments, businesses, and institutions improve their cybersecurity posture.

Addressing the opening session, the minister for communication, digital technology, and innovations, Samuel Nartey George, challenged participants to approach the competition with a practical mindset.

"Over the next 48 hours, I want you to build as if the solution you create will be deployed in the real world, because it might be. Some of the most impactful cybersecurity tools, fintech solutions, and digital platforms in Africa began exactly this way: a hackathon, a team, a problem, and the stubbornness to solve it," he said.

The minister noted that as digital transformation accelerates across West Africa, countries are becoming increasingly vulnerable to cybercrime, ransomware attacks, online fraud and threats targeting critical infrastructure.

Cybersecurity has become a growing concern across the ECOWAS region as governments expand digital public services, financial technology platforms, and e-commerce systems.

Experts have warned that cybercriminals are increasingly targeting both public and private institutions, leading to significant financial losses and data breaches.

The Deputy Director-General in charge of Technical Operations at the Cyber Security Authority, Stephen Cudjoe-Seshie, said the success of cybersecurity efforts ultimately depends on skilled professionals capable of identifying and responding to emerging threats.

“At the heart of cybersecurity are people, skilled, innovative, committed, and ethical individuals who can anticipate threats, respond effectively, and use their capabilities responsibly,” he said.

According to ECOWAS Director for Digital Economy and Post, Folake Olagunju, the competition has evolved significantly since its introduction.

She said one of the notable achievements of this year’s edition is that the cybersecurity challenges were developed by an Accra-based company, 00SEC, rather than international firms that designed challenges in previous years.

“In earlier editions, hackathon challenges were developed by international firms. Today, we are proud that the challenges were created by an Accra-based company, 00SEC, a milestone that reflects the growing expertise within our region,” she said.

The annual hackathon forms part of broader ECOWAS efforts to strengthen regional cybersecurity capacity and cooperation.

In recent years, the regional bloc has intensified efforts to promote cyber resilience through policy harmonisation, training programmes, and cross-border collaboration against cybercrime.

Ghana has emerged as one of the leading countries in the region’s cybersecurity landscape following the establishment of the Cyber Security Authority and the implementation of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038).

The country has also hosted several regional initiatives focused on digital security, cyber governance, and online safety.