The initiative is a commitment made by African Heads of State and Government to promote sustainable socio-economic development on the continent.

A statement issued by the authority said that the country was elected to chair the network at a meeting held last Tuesday, in Accra on the sidelines of the Global Conference on Cyber Capacity Building (GC3B). The Kingdom of Morocco was confirmed as the Vice Chair.

Therefore, it said, the position of the Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, and Smart Africa Secretariat will constitute the Bureau of the ANCA.

“It will be responsible for the governance structure of ANCA, the body’s action plan, and advocate and represent the interests of the members,” the statement added.

It stressed that the election of Ghana to lead the body was a further manifestation of the nation’s growing leadership on the continent with respect to cybersecurity matters.

The statement said that Ghana's significant progress in cybersecurity development was evidenced in its current ITU ranking.

“The 2020 Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) report of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) scored Ghana's cybersecurity development 86.69% on the metric showing major progress from a rating of 32.6% in 2017,” it added.

It said the score placed Ghana 3rd in Africa behind Mauritius and Tanzania, signifying a major leap from the 10th place attained in 2017 adding that globally, the country moved from the 86th position in 2017 to 43rd place.

ANCA

The African Network of Cybersecurity Authorities (ANCA) comprises a number of African cybersecurity authorities and agencies from different geographical and linguistic areas, with the aim of setting up a platform for exchanges and cooperation between its members and making Africa's voice heard in its dealings with partners around the world on cybersecurity matters.

It currently comprises only 17 members representing African countries that have established dedicated National Cybersecurity Authorities.

The countries include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Congo Republic, Djibouti, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo and Tunisia.

Priorities

The statement said the Director-General of the CSA, Dr Albert Antwi-Boasiako, who will serve as the Chair of the network outlined the nation’s vision for ANCA as a leadership on cybersecurity matters on the continent.

The priorities included the establishment of the governance structure for the network for effective engagements, growing the membership of the network from the current number of 17 countries and setting up a platform for operational exchanges and practical cooperation among members.

He said the country will also explore funding models and partnerships for cybersecurity development in member countries and across the continent, contribute to Smart Africa’s flagship initiatives as the continental advisory body on cybersecurity matters and articulate Africa's voice on cybersecurity matters in global discussions, among others.