African Centre for Security (ACS) seeks to advance security and resilience through scientific innovation and technology
Cutting-edge research, collaborations, and knowledge dissemination to address emerging security challenges in Africa
About Us
MISSION
African Centre for Security (ACS) seeks to deliver excellence in security research, education and innovation through fostering of collaboration among academia, industry, Government, Non-Governmental Organizations and the public.
VISION
African Centre for Security (ACS) seeks to be a premier centre of excellence in security research and a trusted advisor to Governments, private organizations, and the public sector across Africa.
Core Values
Integrity
Dedicated to conducting its activities with honesty, ethics, and professionalism.
Innovation
Foster a culture of innovation, research, development, and application of cutting-edge technologies and methodologies.
Inclusivity
Ensure initiatives, programs, and policies are accessible and beneficial to all from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
Collaboration
Actively engage with stakeholders from academia, government, private sector, NGOs and the public.
Sustainability
Promote sustainable practices that balance societal, economic, and environmental considerations.
Excellence
Achieve the highest standards of quality, expertise, and impact in its research, initiatives, and collaborations.
Advisory Board
Prof. Washington Yotto Ochieng, EBS, FREng
Chairman, Advisory Board, African Centre for Security (ACS)
Director of the Institute for Security Science and Technology (ISST) and the Centre for Active Resilience and Security (CARS) at Imperial College London
Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Chair Professor in Positioning and Navigation Systems. He is also the Interim Director of the Institute for Security Science and Technology (ISST) at Imperial College London. Formerly, he was Head of the Centre for Transport Studies, and Senior Security Science Fellow and Co-Director of the ISST at Imperial.
Ochieng is a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Science Museum Group (SMG) appointed by the UK Prime Minister, and Chair of the Advisory Board of the Science Museum in London. He is a Trustee, Member of Council and Vice President of the Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN), and Chair of the Africa Engineers Steering Committee of the Royal Academy of Engineering. He is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng).
Prof. Nir Kshetri
Professor at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro and a research fellow at Kobe University
Nir holds a Ph D from University of Rhode Island. He is the author of four books including Global Entrepreneurship: Environment and Strategy (Routledge, 2014), Cybercrime and Cybersecurity in the Global South (Palgrave 2013), and The Global Cyber-crime Industry (Springer-Verlag 2010). Nir has published over seventy journal articles and two-dozen book chapters and has given lectures or presented research papers (about 150) at national/international conferences in more than forty countries.
Nir’s recent research related awards include Best Academic Paper Award at The Business and Entrepreneurship in Africa Conference (May 2013) and best paper award at the 5th International Conference on Information Systems and Economic Intelligence (2012).
Gilbert Nyandeje
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Threatseal™, Enovise and Africa Cyber Defense Forum (ACDF)
Gilbert is the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Enovise Group, an award-winning and leading global cybersecurity consultancy firm with operations spread across Africa and the UK. He is also the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Africa Cyber Defense Forum, a continental platform for public-private cooperation in cyber security and cyber defense policies and agendas in Africa. He is an Advisor on African affairs at the Centre for Strategic Cyberspace + International Studies (London, UK).
Gilbert has vast experience providing cybersecurity advisory services and security systems integrations to several organizations, Law enforcement, military agencies and governments across Africa and other parts of the world. He has provided consultancy to financial institutions and governments across Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, and United Kingdom.
Gilbert is Mandela Washington Fellow (2016), a flagship fellowship program by American President Barack Obama for young African Leaders. He is equally a Tony Elumelu Foundation Fellow (2017) for Entrepreneurship. He is a fluent speaker of both French and English.
Gilbert has contributed to high level international cyber security panels, publications and discussions across Africa and other parts of the world.
Gilbert holds a master’s degree from the National School of Management (Morocco) and was awarded the best research thesis. He holds a Certificate in Public Policy Howard University (USA).
Research Areas
Cybersecurity
Actively engage with stakeholders from academia, government, private sector, NGOs and the public.
AI and ML for Security
Exploring the use of AI and ML algorithms to detect, prevent, and respond to security breaches and anomalies.
Biometrics and ID Management
Investigating advanced biometric technologies for secure identification and authentication, as well as the development of identity management systems.
Internet of Things (IoT) Security
Studying the vulnerabilities of IoT devices and networks and finding solutions to ensure their secure integration into various systems.
Resilience and Disaster Recovery
Researching ways to enhance the resilience of critical infrastructure and systems to withstand and recover from natural disasters and other disruptive events.
Data Privacy and Protection
Exploring techniques to safeguard personal and sensitive data while ensuring compliance with relevant regulations.
Cryptography and Encryption
Advancing cryptographic techniques to secure communications and data storage.
Threat Intelligence and Analysis
Developing methodologies to gather and analyse threat intel to better understand and prevent cyber threats.
Publications
The Spread of Chinese Surveillance Tools in Africa: A Focus on Ethiopia and Kenya by Jili Bulelani
Based on a review of literature, the chapter investigates the impact of Chinese surveillance tools in Africa, focusing on Kenya and Ethiopia’s capital cities: Nairobi and Addis Ababa, respectively.
Both countries have received substantial financial and technical assistance from China to build their digital infrastructure.
Download The Spread of Chinese Surveillance Tools in Africa: A Focus on Ethiopia and Kenya
News and Events
EVENTSLaunch of African Centre for Security (ACS/AfriCenSec): Resilience, Science and TechnologyTuesday, 14 November 2023
On the first day of the 4th annual edition of Africa Cyber Defense Forum 2023, the African Centre for Security (ACS): Resilience, Science and Technology (AfriCenSec) was launched by Gilbert Nyandeje, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Enovise, Threatseal™ and Africa Cyber Defense Forum, and William Baraza, Director of African Advanced Level Telecommunications Institute (AFRALTI) during a gala dinner at Kigali Marriot Hotel on Tuesday, November 14, 2023.