Benin's government has established a dedicated center to combat cybercrime, bolstering its efforts to tackle online threats in the West African nation. The new unit aims to improve investigations and prosecutions of cyber-related offenses, a growing concern across the continent.

Beninese computer scientist Ouanilo Medegan Fagla (photo) was appointed head of the newly established National Center for Digital Investigations (CNIN) on Wednesday, January 24, in a bid to bolster the country's fight against cybercrime.

Fagla, a veteran cybersecurity expert and former Director of Digital Security at Benin's Agency for Information and Digital Systems Agency (ASIN), will now lead the CNIN, aiming to enhance investigations and prosecutions of online offenses.

The Beninese government established the CNIN on November 29, 2023, to continue the fight against cybercrime. The center assumes the responsibilities of the Office central de répression de la cybercriminalité (OCRC) and will take over the cybercrime-related missions of the ASIN.

Before his appointment, Fagla served as ASIN's Director of Digital Security. He is an ISACA-certified information security manager and holds a General Academic Studies Degree (DEUG) in applied mathematics and computer science from the University of Orléans (2004), and a master's degree in computer science from Epitech (2007).

Fagla began his professional career in 2005 at Epitech as an assistant professor. He later became a research expert in reverse engineering at Neuf Telecom, a French ISP, in 2006. In 2008, he joined Bizanga Labs, an email and messaging security company, as a software engineer, a position he also held at Cloudmark, a cybersecurity firm.

Fagla, a former pedagogical director at Epitech (2011-2016), co-founded iNNERSHiP in 2015, a company offering customized development programs for businesses. He served as the Director General of the National Agency for Information Systems Security (ANSSI) from 2019 to 2023.

In 2021, the President of the Republic appointed Fagla as an Officer of the National Order of Benin.

Melchior Koba