Context and Rationale

Africa is moving towards a connected digital economy, where cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI) have become essential components for sustainable growth. This competition aims to address the urgent need for awareness, education, and innovation in these fields.

The Role of Cybersecurity and AI in the Economy

• Cameroon has 34% of its population with Internet access (ITU)
• 59% of the population uses mobile devices for digital services
• The digital economy contributes 5.5% to Cameroon's GDP
• AI could add $13 trillion to the global economy by 2030 (McKinsey)

Recent Cybersecurity Threats

Cameroon is among the 5 most targeted African countries for cyberattacks (Kaspersky 2023):

• Over 5,000 cyberattacks reported in 2021
• Financial losses of 3.7 billion FCFA between 2020-2022
• Main attacks: phishing (40%), ransomware, banking fraud
• Only 10% of IT professionals are trained in cybersecurity

Competition Objectives

The main objective is to raise awareness of ethical and responsible practices in cybersecurity and AI among students from the 10 regions of Cameroon.

Specific Objectives:

• Develop reliable educational content on cybersecurity and AI
• Strengthen the capacities of participating teachers and students
• Establish ethical cybersecurity and AI practices
• Encourage collaborative problem-solving
• Develop critical thinking and innovation
• Create a national network of student and teacher mentors
• Strengthen inclusion and educational equity

Competition Process

1. Internal pre-selection In each institution (10 selected students and 4 mentors)
2. Regional competition 1 institution selected per region
3. Sectoral competition (zones) Zone 1: EN, N, AD; Zone 2: Litt., SW; Zone 3: Centre, East, South; Zone 4: West, NW
4. Semi-finals 07.01.2026 (schools) and 14.01.2026 (universities)
5. National final 10.02.2026 with award ceremony

Key Phases of the Competition

Regional Phase (December 3-10, 2025)

Day 1: General knowledge on cybersecurity in Africa, cybercrimes, and AI (2h)

Day 2: Challenge on a case study in cybersecurity and AI ethics (3h)

University Phase (December 15-19, 2025)

Same activities as for secondary schools but with a higher level of difficulty

Semi-finals (online format - 1 day)

1. Assessment of ethical and responsible behaviors on AI use case studies (1h)

2. Definition of defensive postures in cybercrime situations (1h)

Final (in-person - February 10, 2026)

1. Assessment of the ability to advise and design policies and procedures

2. Identification of priority actions for governance

Team Requirements

👥 Team Composition

• 5 students per institution (2 girls and 3 boys)
• 2 supervisors per institution (1 man and 1 woman)
• Secondary and higher education institutions

📝 Registration

• Online submission via www.craie.cm
• Financial contribution:
  • 25,000 FCFA for secondary
  • 50,000 FCFA for higher education
• Deadline: 01.10.2025

Expected Results

• 80% of participants will master cybersecurity principles
• 70% will demonstrate ethical use of AI
• 85% improvement in collaboration skills
• 500+ future digital leaders trained

Deliverables

• Workshops and training sessions on the fundamentals of cybersecurity and ethical AI practices
• Practical projects from student teams with documentation of the problem-solving process
• Detailed evaluation reports and award ceremony
• Competition summary report with recommendations