Experts Urge AfCFTA to Prepare for Data Security

Bennett Oghifo

Experts in cyber security have emphasised the significance of data security in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

This was contained in the resolutions at the virtual conference on Africa Data Security held recently with over 200 attendees from various African countries and the rest of the world.

One of the experts, Mr. Abiola Sanni (SAN) said AfCFTA should be fully conscious of the data security issues awaiting it, especially in the aspects of its trade in Intangible Services and the attendant consumption of personal data in the zillions of bytes.

Sanni, a professor of Law at the University of Lagos and Chairman, Board of Directors of Taxaide Technologies Limited, said alongside these challenges “are the opportunities for governments, citizens, businesses and practitioners alike. All of them will seek to fully explore in this year’s Conference.”

This year’s conference was themed: Data Security Considerations for a Continental Free Trade Area: The Challenges and Prospects.

The Conference was structured along four distinct lines of intervention – Emergence and Implementation of a Uniform Framework for Personal Data Security in Africa: Recommendations from the First Africa Data Protection Conclave; the Enforcement of Data Protection Measure in AfCFTA member states – Compliance levels, issues arising and enforcement strategies; Africa Continental Free Trade Area and cross-border Personal Data transfer: Impacts, Implementation and Challenges as well as Data Protection and Cyber Security in the Growing Digital Economy across Africa.

The event featured over 20 speakers comprising policymakers, captains of industry, legal luminaries and other stakeholders from Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and the rest of Africa with professional backgrounds in law, cybersecurity, and data protection.

Some of the speakers include President, Network of African Data Protection Authorities (NADPA), Patricia Adusei-Poku; Senior Associate, Hogan Lovells, France, Aissatou Sylla; Associate Partner, Katende, Ssempebwa & Company, Uganda, Alice Namuli Blazevic; Lead Cybersecurity Specialist Serensic Ltd, Tanzania, Esther Lugoe Mengi and Head of Regulations Monitoring and Compliance at the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Olufemi Daniel.

The conference was aimed at providing thought-provoking and enlightening conversations that will enable us to achieve, foster and embrace more strategic approaches towards the promotion of Data Security in Africa for the promotion of a Continental Free Trade Area.

The second Africa Data Protection has as its headline sponsors, Taxaide Technologies Limited (Taxtech), Anaje Olumide Oke and Akinkugbe (AO2LAW), 21Search, Taxaide Professional Services Limited, NDP Academy, TGL and ably supported by a host of brands and organisations.