Competition over natural resources continues to shape security dynamics across the Horn of Africa. Traditional disputes over water and grazing land remain common in rural areas. However, new economic factors are changing the scale and complexity of these conflicts.
Oil exploration, mineral prospects, and expanding infrastructure investments introduce new stakeholders and competing interests. Without effective governance frameworks, these developments increase the risk of local tensions escalating into wider instability.
Preventing resource-driven conflict requires proactive planning. Governments and development partners must map potential conflict zones before extraction or large-scale projects begin. Legal frameworks must define resource ownership, revenue sharing, and community participation mechanisms.
Local communities must also be integrated into decision-making processes. When communities understand potential benefits and participate in oversight structures, the likelihood of conflict decreases significantly.
Strategic advisory support, research, and stakeholder engagement remain critical tools for managing these emerging risks while enabling sustainable economic development.
Cybersecurity ecosystem
The Data Security Council of India has forecast that the cybersecurity ecosystem will expand up to a point where nearly one million professionals will be required by 2025. Additionally, the demand for cloud security skills is estimated to grow by 115% between 2020 and 2025, representing almost 20,000 job openings, Narayan added.
An extensive exercise in reskilling and/or upskilling the existing workforce, believe staffing experts, is one of the ways that telcos can future proof their work.
Indian mobile phone operators are expected to at least double their investments on network security with the 5G roll out expected to spark a surge in network vulnerabilities, which assume critical importance especially for enterprises.
However, it is already proving to be a challenge for telcos to have robust security teams.
“Even if we do not talk about 5G (specifically), the security talent in general in the country is very sparse at the moment. We need to get more (security) professionals in the system”
Bharti Airtel, for example, has been preparing for 5G roll out by upskilling its professionals and offering them certification courses such as CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) and CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional). The courses are offered based on skill and eligibility level free of cost.
We didn’t invent the term “fools with tools.” Still, it’s a perfect definition for the practice of buying a stack of sophisticated cybersecurity technology that’s impossible to manage without an MSP or the budget of a Fortune 500 IT department.