The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is strengthening regional cybersecurity cooperation through a capacity-building programme aimed at developing a pool of certified auditors capable of assessing and improving the maturity of Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs) across West Africa.
A total of 38 cybersecurity professionals from ECOWAS Member States and partner institutions are participating in a Certified SIM3 Auditor Training being held in Lomé, Togo, from August 4 to 6, 2026.
The training forms part of the Joint Platform for Advancing Cybersecurity (JPAC) initiative, which is supported by the German Federal Foreign Office and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
The programme is designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills required to conduct SIM3 assessments, helping CSIRTs identify gaps, strengthen their operational capabilities and improve their overall readiness to respond to cybersecurity incidents.
The training is being delivered by the Open CSIRT Foundation (OCF) and hosted by Cyber Defense Africa (CDA), operator of Togo’s national Computer Emergency Response Team, CERT.tg. TrustBroker Africa (TBA) is also participating in the initiative.
Building a stronger regional cybersecurity network
The development of certified SIM3 auditors is expected to contribute to greater consistency in the assessment of CSIRTs across the ECOWAS region.
As digitalisation expands across West Africa, governments, businesses and citizens are increasingly exposed to cyber threats, including data breaches, cyberattacks and disruptions to critical digital infrastructure. Strong and capable CSIRTs are therefore essential to detecting, responding to and recovering from such incidents.
By creating a regional pool of trained auditors, ECOWAS is seeking to strengthen the ability of Member States to independently assess their incident-response capabilities while promoting common standards and closer cooperation.
The initiative also supports the broader objective of enhancing regional cyber resilience, ensuring that countries can work together more effectively when responding to cybersecurity threats that cross national borders.
The SIM3 Auditor Training therefore represents an important step towards building a more coordinated, resilient and professionally equipped cybersecurity ecosystem in West Africa.
