Why WADFIN exists
Across West Africa, capable investigators, analysts, researchers, prosecutors and educators are already doing important work. The problem is that professional expertise is often difficult to discover, insufficiently connected across borders and not always supported by shared research, validation resources, mentorship or visible professional pathways.
WADFIN exists to help turn scattered capability into a connected professional ecosystem.
Core proposition
Africa should be able to investigate digital crime, preserve digital evidence and support justice with strong local capability — not as a substitute for international cooperation, but from a position of greater capacity, confidence and sovereignty.
Vision
A West Africa where digital evidence can be identified, preserved, analysed and presented with professional confidence, legal defensibility and strong African capability.
Mission
To connect practitioners, build capability, advance practical standards, promote African-led research and strengthen cooperation in digital forensics and investigations.
Strategic objectives
Build professional capability
Practical training, mentorship, peer learning and competency pathways.
Create a trusted network
Help specialist knowledge, lessons and lawful professional support move faster across borders.
Advance defensible practice
Promote stronger acquisition, preservation, analysis, documentation, reporting and quality assurance.
Strengthen legal readiness
Study regional legal frameworks and practical routes for lawful cross-border evidence work.
Promote African research
Create space for African practitioners to publish, present, mentor and shape technical discussions.
Improve resilience
Encourage tool diversity, open-source capability, validation and sustainable workflows.
Founding story
WADFIN was initiated by Sheikh Omar Jallow, a digital forensics professional who observed a persistent visibility and connection gap among African practitioners. Skilled professionals often operate within separate institutions and countries without a strong regional mechanism for discovering peers, exchanging non-sensitive knowledge, mentoring new investigators, validating tools or collectively contributing to research and professional standards.
The network is therefore designed around collaboration rather than duplication. WADFIN does not seek to replace national institutions, law-enforcement bodies, courts, prosecutors, regulators or international organisations.