Fighting Disinformation as a Prominent Cybersecurity Challenge

Concept Note:

The phenomenon of disinformation (False Information / Fake News) is an intentional act of misleading, or providing people with wrong information, especially propaganda by or against a government, organization or individual. Its intention is usually to manipulate public opinion or influence political, social, or other outcomes which could take various forms, such as fabricated news articles, manipulated images or videos, deceptive social media campaigns, or even conspiracy theories.

Disinformation though has been in existence for centuries, became more prominent in the early 21st Century (digital age) due to the advent of the Internet and social media platforms that spread information rapidly and widely and such platforms have become a major contender/threat to the mainstream/traditional media outlets that is known for its authentic, organized and well-scrutinized information. Its existence has far-reaching consequences, including the potential to undermine democracy, incite social unrest, erode trust in institutions, and harm individuals and communities.

The 13th edition of the Quarterly eConference of Africa ICT Alliance - AfICTA, is being hosted by AfICTA Southern Africa Stakeholders in collaboration with the Institute of IT Professionals, South Africa - IITPSA and the session would examine the theme "Fighting Disinformation as a Prominent Cybersecurity Challenge", with the belief that addressing the issue of disinformation requires a multi-faceted approach which involves technology, media literacy efforts, policy interventions, and individual critical thinking skills. Fact-checking, enhancing digital media literacy, promoting responsible journalism, and fostering transparency from online platforms are all important steps in combating the spread of disinformation.

It's crucial for individuals to critically evaluate the information they come across, fact-check claims, and seek multiple reliable sources before accepting or further sharing such information. Being aware of the possibility of disinformation and encouraging responsible information consumption is essential in today's heavily interconnected world. The session would also examine 1. Brief History of Disinformation, 2. Disinformation in the Age of Social Media 3. The Challenges of Detecting Disinformation 4. Factors behind the Spread of Disinformation, 5. How to Detect and Forestall the Propagation of Disinformation and 6. To understand the risks of disinformation and misinformation.

Registration Opening Soon

Theme: E-Waste Management - Realizing a Circular Economy and Climatic Sanity

Concept Note:

The threat posed by Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) Waste, or e-Waste to our environment, survivability of nature, and human beings is becoming alarming even as human beings increasingly adopt technologies as solutions in their various aspects of life. The more the adoption, the increase in the waste thereof yet without the proper arrangement for its recycling or disposal. According to the United Nations International Communication Units (UNITU), a record of 53.6 million metric tonnes (mt) of e-waste was disposed of in 2019, and only 17.45 million (mt) are formally reused and recycled, leaving the environment with the consequences and damaging effect of the rest of the figure.

The heart-troubling discovery, according to research, shows that with increasing economic activities in developing countries, the amount of e-waste disposed is estimated to reach 74 million mt by 2030. Hence, the need to have a solid policy plan and implementation to properly manage e-Waste and disarm the ticking time bomb should be prioritized. According to Wikipedia, e-Waste is illegally brought into African states every year. A minimum of 250,000 metric tons of e-waste comes into the continent, and according to the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, the majority of it enters from Europe. Developed countries commodify underdeveloped African states as dumping grounds for their e-waste, and due to poor regulations and a lack of enforcement institutions, illegal dumping is promoted.

Aside from banning or regulating indiscriminate dumping of e-Waste, another aspect to venture into for prosperity and improvement of people's living standards is the recycling of those wastes domiciling with us "Circular Economy". Circular Economy is a business model that turns goods that are at the end of their service life into resources for others, closing loops in industrial ecosystems and minimizing waste. Economically, e-waste can carry high-value materials which can lead to financial opportunity for some African states. E-waste materials sourced from Africa amounted to $3.2 billion US dollars in 2019, therefore making trading and repairing them economic pursuits for poorer individuals.

Other benefits of the circular economy include; the Mitigation of Land Degradation, Promotion of Natural Resources Conservation, helping to Reduce Greenhouse Gases, reduction of the negative impact of manufacturing on the environment, reduction of raw material dependence, Jobs creation, and many others. However, handling e-waste without adequate equipment and knowledge will result in more environmental pollution, degradation, and human health risks as many of their constituents are toxic to life.

Register to Participate

 Greetings All.

Registration is ongoing for the 11th Africa Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF-2023) which would hold in a hybrid mode, physically at Transcorp Hilton Abuja, Nigeria from September 19 - 21. The theme for this year's edition is "Transforming Africa's Digital Landscape: Empowering Inclusion, Security, and Innovation".

For your kind information, AfICTA's approved session "Cybersecurity in Africa: Exploring the UNECA Insight" would form part of the list of sessions at the event. Our session is scheduled to hold on Tuesday 19 September at Transcorp Hilton Abuja, Nigeria. Room 4 (for those attending in person). Time is 9:00 am (UTC) | 10:00 am Nigeria | 11:00 am South Africa. I welcome you all to join us.

To attend either in person or virtually, please register now: https://igf.africa/registration/

AfICTA's 5-man delegation led by its Founder, Former Chair, and Chair of the Advisory Council, Dr. Jimson Olufuye, organized a presentation ceremony of The Africa ICT Personality Award 2022 to the outgoing Minister of Communications and Digital Economy of Nigeria, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) on Wednesday, 24th May 2023 in Abuja Nigeria. The aforementioned delegation included Mr. Timilehin Ambali, Board Member and COO Dotengee Ent.; Amb. Segun Olugbile, CEO Araba Technologies; Mr. Ife Olufuye and two AfICTA - Africa ICT Alliance Secretariat staff.

The Honorable Minister emerged as the winner of the annual prestigious award alongside his Mauritius counterpart, Hon. Darsanand Balgobin, through a nomination and election process that was conducted by AfICTA's Nominating Committee. The award was presented to the Honorable Minister in recognition of his sterling contribution to the ICT-enabled growth and development in Africa and for engendering more than 18% ICT contribution to Nigeria's GDP in 2022 and 40% overall ICT value chain contribution to the Nigerian economy.

While responding to the award presentation, the Honorable Minister heartily appreciated AfICTA leadership and the delegation for the recognition and counted it a great honour to have received the special award. He hence dedicated the award to all that supported his ministerial journey. AfICTA Chairman also felicitated with the Honorable Minister, he appreciated his input to the digital economy in Nigeria and Africa at large and further encouraged that more effort be channeled into positively projecting Africa to the world.

Few Pictures...

L-R: Segun Omolosho (AfICTA Secretary); Mr. Timilehin Ambali (COO DotEngee Ent. & AfICTA Board); Dr. Jimson Olufuye, AfICTA Founder, Former Chair & Chair of the Advisory Council; Amb. Segun Olugbile, CEO Araba Technologies; Kayode Oyeyemi (AfICTA Secretary); Ife Olufuye, System Engineer, Kontemporary Konsulting.