A Theoretical Framework for Cybersecurity Capacity Building in African Regional Economic Communities

African Regional Economic Communities including ECOWAS face significant coordination challenges in building shared cybersecurity capacity among member states with vastly different technical capabilities, regulatory frameworks, and resource endowments, and developing an original theoretical framework for regional capacity building fills a critical gap in both cybersecurity governance and regional integration theory. This study developed an original Regional Cybersecurity Capacity Building Framework for African RECs, with ECOWAS as the primary institutional reference. A theory-building methodology was employed: systematic review of regional cybersecurity capacity building literature (41 publications from 2018 to 2024), institutional analysis of ECOWAS cybersecurity governance through documentary review and interviews with 15 ECOWAS officials, national cybersecurity authorities, and regional digital economy specialists from Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, and Côte d'Ivoire, and expert validation with 20 regional governance and cybersecurity specialists. The institutional analysis confirmed that ECOWAS has normative cybersecurity frameworks but lacks operational enforcement mechanisms, that national capacity disparity undermines collective security, and that harmonised minimum standards are absent. The original RCCB Framework proposes a four-level capacity architecture: foundation (minimum national capability standards), harmonisation (aligned regulatory frameworks), collective action (shared infrastructure and joint exercises), and advanced integration (threat intelligence sharing and joint response). Theoretical contributions include the Regional Security Spillover Model explaining how weak member state security creates negative externalities for the entire region, providing the economic rationale for solidarity-based capacity building investments. Expert review confirmed the framework's original theoretical contribution.

Keywords: cybersecurity capacity building, ECOWAS, regional integration, Africa, cybersecurity governance