Congo to Host Regional Cyberdrill as Part of Digital Transformation Agenda

The Republic of Congo has announced plans to host a regional Cyberdrill this July in Brazzaville-Kintélé, marking a significant step in the country’s commitment to strengthening Africa’s collective cybersecurity posture. The announcement was made during the high-level ministerial panel at the Cyber Africa Forum 2025 by H.E. Léon Juste Ibombo, Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and the Digital Economy of Congo. 

The regional Cyberdrill, scheduled for July 1st and 4th, will be a large-scale simulation exercise focused on cyber incident response across national boundaries. It is being organized in collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU ), Interpol , Congo’s National Information Systems Security Agency (ANSSI), and the African Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research (CAIR ). The exercise aims to strengthen regional capacities to detect, manage, and recover from cyberattacks and digital intrusions, while also reinforcing coordination among African cybersecurity stakeholders.

The initiative comes as part of a broader strategy outlined by the Republic of Congo to advance its digital transformation agenda. The minister highlighted that Congo’s National Development Plan (2022–2026) and the Digital Economy Development Strategy Vision 2030 place digital infrastructure and services at the heart of economic modernization.

Over the past decade, the digital economy’s contribution to Congo’s GDP has grown from under 2% to nearly 6%, creating thousands of jobs and supporting the emergence of an inclusive tech ecosystem. Legal reforms—including cybersecurity and data protection laws—and institutional investments, such as the establishment of ANSSI and the National Data Protection Commission, are paving the way for sustainable growth.

Minister Ibombo also stressed the importance of youth and women in Congo’s digital plans. The country is investing in youth-focused digital skills programmes, including partnerships with Huawei , the Smart Africa Digital Academy (SADA ), and UNDP . Targeted programmes also aim to boost female entrepreneurship in tech through training, incubation, and funding.

Looking ahead, Congo’s strategic digital priorities include:

• Developing AI tools tailored to African languages and public services

• Advancing regional digital interconnectivity

• Promoting digital sovereignty through adoption of cloud, blockchain, and national digital identity systems

• Deepening cybersecurity capacity to build trust and resilience

• Investing in R&D and local tech production

The announcement of the upcoming Cyberdrill signals a growing recognition that cross-border cyber collaboration is no longer optional, but essential to secure Africa’s digital future.