Competition Policies, Regional Trade, and Their Intersection with Cybersecurity

Franklin N. Ngwu, Kelechi C. Nnamdi (), Bukunmi Agboola, Helen N. Ilesanmi and Babafemi S. Oladejo
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Franklin N. Ngwu: Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos Business School
Kelechi C. Nnamdi: Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos Business School
Bukunmi Agboola: Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos Business School
Helen N. Ilesanmi: Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos Business School
Babafemi S. Oladejo: Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos Business School

A chapter in Behavioral Cybersecurity and Ethical AI in Relational Economics Context, 2026, pp 325-358 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This chapter examines the nexus between competition policies, regional trade agreements, and cybersecurity within Africa’s fast-evolving digital economy. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will bring together 54 countries under the world’s biggest free-trade area, promoting intra-African trade and industrialization. Its prospects, however, rest on robust cybersecurity to combat risks such as data breaches, digital fraud, and cross-border cyber-attacks that undermine digital trade and market integrity. Through comparative evaluation of regional protocols in ECOWAS, EAC, and SADC, the research documents regulatory fragmentation, enforcement loopholes, and technical skill deficits eroding cybersecurity resilience. Digital economies and fintech, as agents of financial inclusion, bring into the system vulnerabilities that test existing competition and security policy. Founded on market failure, regulatory capture, and institutional theories, the chapter documents gaps in Africa’s cybersecurity governance in the form of weak legal structures and unevenly applied policies. It recommends aligning cybersecurity norms in regional blocs, developing public–private partnerships, and increasing capacity-building to tackle these challenges. Prioritizing digital sovereignty and data protection, the report identifies them as indispensable to regional competition policies. With robust cybersecurity, Africa can secure its digital infrastructure, promote fair competition, and achieve the economic promise of its digital transformation, rendering the continent a competitive force in the global digital economy.

Keywords: Competition policy; Regional trade; Cybersecurity; Digital economy; Africa; AfCFTA; Data protection; F13; F15; K21; K24; O33; R58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-01214-2_14

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