Ethiopia to Host Int'l Conference on Cybersecurity, AI

Addis Ababa, June 16, 2026 (ENA) —Ethiopia will host an international conference on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence aimed at strengthening Africa’s cyber resilience and supporting the secure adoption of AI amid rapid digital transformation next week.

The conference, scheduled to take place from June 24 to 25, 2026, is organized by the Ethiopian Cybersecurity Association and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).

Briefing journalists today, Ethiopian Cybersecurity Association President Berhane Beyene, said the conference will focus on strengthening Africa’s cyber resilience and data sovereignty as well as promoting the secure adoption of artificial intelligence.

The event is expected to bring together government institutions, cybersecurity and AI organizations, regulatory bodies, academia, and businesses, he added.

 

 

Moreover, the conference will engage national security agencies and services, ICT and digital transformation ministers, Security Operation and Network Operation Centers practitioners, critical infrastructure operators, banks, telecommunications providers, utilities, AI security researchers and professionals, universities, innovation hubs, research institutes, global cybersecurity vendors, and development partners.

According to the President, the conference will help to strengthen Africa’s cyber resilience through knowledge sharing and collaboration, present real-world cybersecurity implementation and incident response experience, and showcase AI-enabled security solutions.

On his part, UNECA representative Amos Homodza said the conference is crucial as African countries accelerate digital transformation, with governments digitizing public services, businesses adopting cloud technologies, financial institutions expanding payment systems, and more organizations exploring the transformative potential of AI.

 

 

Homodza said AI is already shaping how people work, learn, govern, innovate, and deliver services.

Cybersecurity has thus become a key enabler of trust in the digital future, and the two domains are increasingly intertwined.

The conference, he said, will explore how to strengthen cybersecurity capabilities across sectors and how to harness AI responsibly, securely, and inclusively.