Professor of Law at the University of Lagos and Chairman, Board of Directors of Taxaide Technologies Limited (Taxtech), Prof Abiola Sanni says the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has created needs to for companies to be fully conscious of the data security issues that awaits their operations.
This year’s conference was themed: Data Security Considerations for a Continental Free Trade Area: The Challenges and Prospects.
Speaking at the second (Virtual) Africa Data Security Conclave held recently, he said such needs are key especially in the aspects of Trade in Intangible Services and the attendant consumption of personal data in the zillions of bytes.
He said the event presented opportunities for governments, citizens, businesses and practitioners alike to harness opportunities presented at the event which attracted over 200 attendees from various African countries and the rest of the world.
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 which include, Patricia Adusei-Poku, President of the Network of African Data Protection Authorities (NADPA); Aissatou Sylla, Senior Associate, Hogan Lovells, France; Alice Namuli Blazevic, Associate Partner at Katende, Ssempebwa & Company, Uganda; Esther Lugoe Mengi, Lead Cybersecurity Specialist Serensic Ltd, Tanzania; Olufemi Daniel, Head of Regulations Monitoring and Compliance at the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigeria; Group Executive Director African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Policy Network Ghana, among others.
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 Data Protection and Cyber Security in the Growing Digital Economy across Africa.
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 2nd 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 organizations.
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