--- eventsindex_id: "EI-07013" slug: shieldafrica-abidjan title: "ShieldAfrica" title_alt: ["Shield Africa", "Salon ShieldAfrica", "ShieldAfrica Abidjan"] canonical_url: "https://eventsindex.org/events/shieldafrica-abidjan.html" next_edition_year: null date_start: null date_end: null venue: "not disclosed" city: "Abidjan" country: "Cote d'Ivoire" organiser: "COGES Events / COGES Africa" organiser_url: "https://shieldafrica.com" b2b: true vector: sector: [defence] audience: [military, government, industry, procurement, security, policy] format: [exhibition, conference] purpose: [business, networking, procurement, policy] geography_scope: [regional] season: winter meta_description: "ShieldAfrica, Abidjan. Dormant African defence and security biennial exhibition. 2023 edition cancelled; no future edition confirmed as of June 2026." editorial_take: "ShieldAfrica pioneered the concept of a dedicated African security exhibition in Abidjan but has been unable to confirm a future edition since its 2023 cancellation, leaving a gap that AFRIDEX (Lagos, 2026) is now attempting to fill." generated_by: "claude-max-cowork" last_verified: "2026-06-10" variables_filled: 30/58 language: "en" schema_version: "v6.0" --- # ShieldAfrica > *ShieldAfrica is an international biennial defence and security exhibition dedicated to the African continent, historically held in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. Organised by COGES Events (France) in partnership with the Ivorian Ministry of Defence, it addressed security challenges specific to Africa. The 2023 edition was cancelled and no confirmed future edition has been announced as of June 2026; the event is classified as dormant. Discussions about a possible relaunch in Morocco are ongoing but unconfirmed, with no fixed date.* --- ## Quick Facts | DATES | VENUE | ORGANISER | ATTENDANCE | |---|---|---|---| | **Not disclosed (dormant)** | **not disclosed** | **COGES Events / COGES Africa** | **not disclosed** | | Biennial (historical cadence) | Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire | French commercial organiser | last held 2021 | --- ## Definition ShieldAfrica is an international biennial defence and security exhibition and conference focused on the African continent. It was organised by COGES Events (a French defence-events specialist, also known as COGES Africa for this event) in collaboration with the Ivorian Ministry of Defence. Historically held at the Ecole Nationale de Police in Abidjan, it aimed to address African-specific security challenges across land, maritime, and internal security domains. The most recent edition was held in 2021; the 2023 edition was formally cancelled by the organiser. No confirmed date for a future edition has been announced as of June 2026. The event is classified as dormant. ## History ShieldAfrica was first held in Abidjan in 2013, filling a gap in the African defence exhibition landscape with a platform specifically designed for the continent's security realities: border protection, counter-terrorism, peacekeeping, maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, and internal security. COGES Events, the organiser of Milipol Paris and Milipol Qatar, developed ShieldAfrica as a companion event for the African market, establishing a biennial cadence. In 2015 COGES Africa partnered with an organisation called "Competences" to develop the show further. Editions were held in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021, establishing a January/biennial pattern at the Ecole de Police in Abidjan, the event's traditional venue. ## The dormancy: cancellations and uncertain future The 2023 edition of ShieldAfrica was formally cancelled by COGES Africa in January 2023. The organiser cited two specific reasons: the unavailability of the Ecole de Police of Abidjan (the traditional venue), and the absence of a manager and operator at Abidjan's new Exhibition Centre -- six months before the scheduled deadline, conditions did not allow the organiser to guarantee acceptable service quality. At the time of the cancellation announcement, COGES Africa stated it was not in a position to commit to a timeline for the next edition. Aggregator listings subsequently circulated provisional dates for a 2025 edition in Abidjan; however, no confirmed edition took place in 2025 based on available reporting as of June 2026. The COGES Events website and associated ShieldAfrica LinkedIn page have not published a confirmed future date. As of June 2026, reports in Moroccan media indicate that discussions are underway for a possible relaunch of ShieldAfrica in Morocco -- potentially near Casablanca -- in a more ambitious format, with 2029 as a possible target year. No formal announcement has been made and no dates, venue, or organiser commitments have been confirmed. ## Where ShieldAfrica sits (or sat) in the defence calendar In its active years, ShieldAfrica occupied a distinctive niche: the only significant defence event on the African continent specifically focused on internal and regional security rather than conventional military procurement. It complemented AAD (African Aerospace and Defence, South Africa, biennial) and the Marrakech Air Show by addressing francophone West and Central African security markets largely absent from South African and North African shows. Its dormancy leaves that segment -- particularly the Gulf of Guinea maritime security and Sahel-region counter-terrorism procurement audience -- without a dedicated event. ## Who attended ShieldAfrica Exhibitors included French, European, and Israeli security and defence companies with significant African business, alongside African state and private security suppliers. The visitor and delegation profile was predominantly West and Central African: defence ministers, police commanders, gendarmerie officials, and procurement officers from the ECOWAS region. The event also attracted UN peacekeeping and peace-support mission procurement representatives. As the show was held in Abidjan, francophone West Africa was overrepresented relative to Anglophone markets. --- ## FAQ - Identity and audience ### Why was the 2023 edition cancelled? COGES Africa cited the simultaneous unavailability of the traditional venue (the Ecole de Police of Abidjan) and the failure to secure a credible alternative venue (Abidjan's new Exhibition Centre) with sufficient lead time to guarantee service quality. No political or security incident was cited as the cause. ### Is ShieldAfrica permanently cancelled? As of June 2026, the event has not been formally dissolved. The organiser (COGES Events) has not announced a closure. However, no confirmed future edition exists, and the event has been dormant since 2021. Discussions about a potential relaunch in Morocco around 2029 have been reported in Moroccan media but remain unconfirmed. ### Is there an alternative event for the African security sector? AFRIDEX (Lagos, inaugural edition October 2026) has been announced as a pan-African defence and security event with explicit ambitions to cover all African markets. It is not a direct replacement for ShieldAfrica's Abidjan-centred francophone focus but represents the most significant attempt to fill the gap created by ShieldAfrica's dormancy. Milipol Paris (biennial, Paris) continues to serve African law-enforcement and internal security buyers within a global format. --- ## The venue: Ecole Nationale de Police, Abidjan (historical) ShieldAfrica was historically held at the Ecole Nationale de Police in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. Abidjan is the economic capital of Cote d'Ivoire and the largest city in francophone West Africa. The city is served by Felix Houphouet-Boigny International Airport (IATA: ABJ). Venue details for any future edition -- whether in Abidjan or a relocated format -- are not disclosed as of June 2026. ## The organiser: COGES Events / COGES Africa COGES Events is a French company specialising in the organisation of defence and security trade events. It is best known as the organiser of Milipol Paris, the world's leading internal security exhibition held biennially at Paris Le Bourget, and Milipol Qatar, its Gulf extension. COGES Africa was the entity managing ShieldAfrica in partnership with the Ivorian Ministry of Defence. The organiser's expertise in the internal security and law-enforcement sector shaped ShieldAfrica's thematic positioning. COGES Events contact information is available at coges.com. --- ## Editorial take *ShieldAfrica pioneered the concept of a dedicated African security exhibition in Abidjan but has been unable to confirm a future edition since its 2023 cancellation, leaving a gap that AFRIDEX (Lagos, 2026) is now attempting to fill.* --- ## How to register and what it costs ShieldAfrica has no open registration as of June 2026. The official website (shieldafrica.com) has not published registration information for any future edition. Parties interested in monitoring the event's status should follow the COGES Events and ShieldAfrica LinkedIn pages for announcements. If a relaunch is confirmed, registration is expected to follow COGES Events' standard process used for Milipol events. ## FAQ - Access and practicalities ### Is there a confirmed date I can plan travel around? No. As of June 2026 there is no confirmed date for any future edition of ShieldAfrica. Do not book travel or accommodation based on provisional aggregator listings, which reflect historical patterns rather than confirmed announcements. ### Where can I track updates? Monitor the official ShieldAfrica website (shieldafrica.com) and the COGES Events LinkedIn page for any official announcement. Moroccan defence press (Yabiladi, Le Desk) has carried the most recent reporting on the potential Morocco relaunch discussions. ### What happened to the 2025 edition some sources list? Various trade-show aggregators circulated a provisional 2025 edition for Abidjan, based on the historical biennial pattern. As of June 2026 no confirmed edition of ShieldAfrica took place in 2025 according to publicly available reporting. These listings appear to be speculative placeholders, not confirmed events. --- ## First time at ShieldAfrica? How to prepare - **Check the official website before making any plans.** Until a confirmed future edition is announced on shieldafrica.com or via COGES Events, no planning is warranted. Aggregator dates for past or possible future editions are unreliable. - **Monitor the Morocco relaunch discussion.** Moroccan media reports suggest a possible relaunch near Casablanca around 2029; if confirmed this would represent a significantly different event format and location from the Abidjan original. - **Consider AFRIDEX (Lagos, October 2026) as an alternative.** For companies seeking pan-African defence and security audience engagement, AFRIDEX's inaugural edition is the most significant near-term option. - **For francophone West African security contacts, Milipol Paris remains active.** The biennial Milipol Paris (Paris Le Bourget, November, odd years) retains strong West and Central African internal-security delegate participation and is a reliable substitute until ShieldAfrica relaunches. --- ## Resources | Resource | URL | |---|---| | Official website | https://shieldafrica.com | | LinkedIn | https://ci.linkedin.com/showcase/shieldafrica | | X | not disclosed | | Register | not disclosed (dormant) | | Programme | not disclosed (dormant) | --- **Last verified:** 2026-06-10 **Next review:** 2027-01-10 **Notes:** Event classified as dormant. 2023 cancellation confirmed via COGES Africa official announcement reported by military.africa (January 2023). Last confirmed edition: 2021. No confirmed future edition found on shieldafrica.com or in defence press as of June 2026. Provisional 2025 aggregator listings appear speculative; no reports of a 2025 edition being held found. Morocco relaunch discussion sourced from Yabiladi (French-language Moroccan media, 2025/2026 reporting); target year reported as circa 2029 -- unconfirmed and should not be treated as a fixed date. ShieldAfrica/COGES Events relationship and Milipol organiser identity verified via multiple sources. **Variables:** 30/58 **Concept definition:** applicable