Session
Organization's Website
Theater
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: A theater-style layout and 90-minute duration will create an engaging and inclusive environment, ensuring meaningful participation from diverse stakeholders. This format supports a structured yet dynamic discussion by integrating expert panel presentations, interactive audience participation, and real-time Q&A sessions. By fostering active dialogue and cross-sector collaboration, the session will facilitate a comprehensive exploration of Africa’s evolving data governance landscape, addressing key challenges and identifying actionable solutions to promote harmonization, innovation, and digital trust across the continent.
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: A theater-style layout and 90-minute duration will create an engaging and inclusive environment, ensuring meaningful participation from diverse stakeholders. This format supports a structured yet dynamic discussion by integrating expert panel presentations, interactive audience participation, and real-time Q&A sessions. By fostering active dialogue and cross-sector collaboration, the session will facilitate a comprehensive exploration of Africa’s evolving data governance landscape, addressing key challenges and identifying actionable solutions to promote harmonization, innovation, and digital trust across the continent.
Description
As Africa accelerates its digital transformation, data governance is a central pillar of its socioeconomic development. With the increasing reliance on data-driven economies, it is essential to understand the challenges and opportunities posed by national data policies, cross-border data flows, and regional regulatory frameworks. Africa’s digital economy has the potential to drive sustainable and inclusive growth, but the fragmented data governance landscape, marked by differing national regulations and inconsistent cross-border data policies, creates barriers to innovation, privacy, cybersecurity, and digital trade.
This session will provide a platform for multi-stakeholder dialogue to explore the complexities of data governance in Africa, focusing on regulatory harmonization, data flows, digital rights, and the role of emerging technologies. By convening governments, industry leaders, civil society, and technical experts, the session aims to examine how improving data governance can enhance intra-continental data flows, support innovation, and facilitate the development of a data-driven economy. The session will also address how data governance can be aligned with sustainable digital practices, such as green digital applications, and strategies for creating a climate-resilient data governance ecosystem.
Through dynamic discussions, participants will explore how to harmonize data regulations across national and regional levels, strengthen institutional capacity to enforce data protection policies, and foster partnerships that support a more inclusive data governance system. The session will highlight the importance of collaboration between governments, the private sector, and civil society, in advancing the continent’s data governance frameworks towards Africa's Digital Single Market realization.
The session will also examine how trusted data flows can contribute to the development of AI, drive digital trade, and strengthen Africa’s role in the global digital economy. Participants will share best practices, identify areas for collaboration, and contribute to building an equitable data governance system that balances innovation, security, and human rights.
Aligned with the African Union’s Data Policy Framework and regional data governance efforts, the session aims to facilitate dialogue that will help Africa overcome barriers to data flow and achieve a unified digital market. Ultimately, the session will contribute to SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
To ensure inclusivity, the session will be moderated both onsite and online, with a focus on engaging virtual participants, fostering dynamic interaction, and ensuring equitable participation across all formats. Both moderators will ensure that the session adheres to the IGF’s code of conduct, promoting respectful and meaningful discourse
To ensure seamless interaction in the hybrid format, both onsite and online moderators will be assigned to actively engage participants. The online moderator will prioritize virtual participants’ questions and comments, while onsite moderators will ensure balanced participation from all attendees, fostering an inclusive dialogue between both groups. The session will include interactive elements such as live Q&A, polls, and discussions, with virtual participants contributing via chat or voice, and onsite participants engaging similarly. We will use the IGF’s virtual platform along with tools like Zoom for live polling, Q&A, and chat features, ensuring real-time interaction and feedback. This integrated approach will provide a cohesive and engaging experience for all participants, ensuring equal opportunities for contribution and fostering diverse perspectives.
To ensure seamless interaction in the hybrid format, both onsite and online moderators will be assigned to actively engage participants. The online moderator will prioritize virtual participants’ questions and comments, while onsite moderators will ensure balanced participation from all attendees, fostering an inclusive dialogue between both groups. The session will include interactive elements such as live Q&A, polls, and discussions, with virtual participants contributing via chat or voice, and onsite participants engaging similarly. We will use the IGF’s virtual platform along with tools like Zoom for live polling, Q&A, and chat features, ensuring real-time interaction and feedback. This integrated approach will provide a cohesive and engaging experience for all participants, ensuring equal opportunities for contribution and fostering diverse perspectives.
Organizers
GIZ African Union
1. Mr. Adil Sulieman - Senior Policy Officer, Information Society Division, African Union Commission (Intergovernmental Organization, Africa Group) 2. H.E. Salima Monorma Bah – Minister of Communications, Technology & Innovation, The Republic of Sierra Leone (Government, Africa Group) 3. Ms. Diana Sang – Africa Regional Director, Digital Impact Alliance (Global Organization, Africa Group) 4. Mr. David Karunda - Data Policy Advisor, DataCipation, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), (Development Partner, Africa Group)
1. Mr. Adil Sulieman - Senior Policy Officer, Information Society Division, African Union Commission (Intergovernmental Organization, Africa Group) 2. H.E. Salima Monorma Bah – Minister of Communications, Technology & Innovation, The Republic of Sierra Leone (Government, Africa Group) 3. Ms. Diana Sang – Africa Regional Director, Digital Impact Alliance (Global Organization, Africa Group) 4. Mr. David Karunda - Data Policy Advisor, DataCipation, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), (Development Partner, Africa Group)
Speakers
1. H.E. Lerato Mataboge – Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, African Union Commission, Intergovernmental Organization, Africa Group
2. H.E. Salima Monorma Bah – Minister of Communications, Technology & Innovation, The Republic of Sierra Leone, Government, Africa Group
3. Prof. Alison Gillwald – Research ICT Africa, Academia, Africa Group
4. Dr. Wakabi Wairagala – Executive Director, Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), Civil Society, Africa Group
5. Kojo Boakye – Vice President, Public Policy for Africa, Middle East & Turkey, Meta, Private Sector, Africa Group
6. Dr. Emmanuel Manasseh – Regional Director, ITU Regional Office for Africa, Intergovernmental Organization, Africa Group
7. Representative from EU/BMZ/BMDV, Government, Europe Group
Onsite Moderator
Ms. Diana Sang – Africa Regional Director, Digital Impact Alliance (Global Organization, Africa Group)
Online Moderator
Mr. Adil Sulieman - Senior Policy Officer, Information Society Division, African Union Commission (Government, Africa Group)
Rapporteur
Mr. David Karunda - Data Policy Advisor, GIZ Office to the African Union, (Development Partner, Africa Group)
SDGs
9.4
9.5
16.10
16.6
17.16
17.17
Targets: This session supports SDGs 9, 16, and 17 by promoting sustainable innovation, strengthening institutions, and fostering collaboration. By focusing on data governance, it encourages the development of reliable infrastructure to manage data, driving technological adoption and innovation across industries (SDG 9). Discussions on regulatory harmonization, cross-border data flows, and green digital processes contribute to building sustainable digital infrastructure across Africa. The session also aims to enhance institutional capacity by identifying best practices for data protection, promoting transparent and accountable institutions (SDG 16). Additionally, it emphasizes multi-stakeholder partnerships among governments, the private sector, and civil society, aligning data policies at national, regional, and continental levels, which supports SDG 17. In summary, this session advances Africa’s socio-economic transformation by supporting SDGs 9, 16, and 17 through innovation, institutional strengthening, and collaborative partnerships for effective data governance.
9.5
16.10
16.6
17.16
17.17
Targets: This session supports SDGs 9, 16, and 17 by promoting sustainable innovation, strengthening institutions, and fostering collaboration. By focusing on data governance, it encourages the development of reliable infrastructure to manage data, driving technological adoption and innovation across industries (SDG 9). Discussions on regulatory harmonization, cross-border data flows, and green digital processes contribute to building sustainable digital infrastructure across Africa. The session also aims to enhance institutional capacity by identifying best practices for data protection, promoting transparent and accountable institutions (SDG 16). Additionally, it emphasizes multi-stakeholder partnerships among governments, the private sector, and civil society, aligning data policies at national, regional, and continental levels, which supports SDG 17. In summary, this session advances Africa’s socio-economic transformation by supporting SDGs 9, 16, and 17 through innovation, institutional strengthening, and collaborative partnerships for effective data governance.