COTONOU, BENIN
October 10th 2022

The Internet is a vital engine for the socio-economic development of the region. However, the growing problems of cybersecurity and cybercrime can no longer be overlooked, as these are global concerns without borders.
Indeed, the region has a growing population, half of which is classified as young (18-35 years), facing endemic unemployment and other social challenges.
The main objective of this regional ECOWAS Hackerlab cybersecurity competition is therefore to identify talent and support young people in the field of technology, in order to create a stable cyber workforce in the region.
Initiated by bjCSIRT-ASIN Benin, in collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission, the European Union and the OCWAR-C project, HackerLab 2022 brings together, after a month of online qualification, thirteen (13) finalist countries.
Each team, composed of talented young men and women, will be invited to take on several challenges in the form of a capture the flag (CTF).
From 10 to 12 October 2022, some forty participants will compete during 48 hours of non-stop competition, for this first ECOWAS edition.