Côte d'Ivoire Opens Cisco Cybersecurity Centre to Combat Rising Cybercrime

• •Cybastion launched a Cisco Cybersecurity Centre in Abidjan to enhance regional cybersecurity.
• •The center features a SOC and incident response team to combat rising cyber threats.
• •The initiative supports training for 200,000 individuals in digital skills by 2030.

On November 5, 2026, Cybastion inaugurated the Cisco Cybersecurity Centre in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, aimed at enhancing cybersecurity readiness across West and Central Africa. The facility includes a Security Operations Center (SOC) and a Security Incident Response Team to monitor threats and respond to cyber incidents. This initiative is part of a broader effort to address the increasing cybercrime rates in the region, which saw losses of $484 million in 2025. The center will also support the Africa DigiEmpower program, which aims to train 200,000 young people and women in digital skills by 2030. Djibril Ouattara, the Minister of Digital Transition, emphasized the center's role in strengthening national capabilities and positioning Côte d'Ivoire as a cybersecurity hub. The center's establishment follows a memorandum of understanding signed in October 2025 between Cybastion, the Ivorian government, and Cisco.