LEGAL experts have called for stronger privacy laws in Africa to meet the evolving technological innovations across the globe. They also sought enforcement and continuous review of laws to ensure the protection of vulnerable persons.
They spoke at the 7th Privacy Symposium, Africa, held in Lagos State, Nigeria, with the theme, ‘Bridging Policy, Technology and Societal Dynamics.’
Organised by Unwanted Witness and co-hosted by the National Data Protection Commission of Nigeria (NDPC), Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) and Data Protection Lawyers Association of Nigeria (DPLAN), the symposium addressed Africa’s challenges around privacy, digital governance and ethical dimensions of emerging technologies. The goal was to shape a digital future rooted in trust, equity and human rights.
At the event were leading data protection experts, regulators, policymakers, civil society actors, legal professionals and industry leaders.
The three-day symposium also featured masterclasses and panel discussions on the state of surveillance in Africa, biometric data, digital ID, Edtech and children’s privacy. Others are media, misinformation and privacy and data breach preparedness.
The Keynote Speaker and law lecturer, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Dr Adekemi Omotubora, decried the increasing misuse of children’s images, stressing that while about 44 countries have data protection laws, only a few have specific child protection provisions.
Omotubora insisted that data protection laws must address the risks that children and other vulnerable groups face.
“Up to 16 countries have launched Artificial Intelligence strategies, but are the provisions robust enough to protect children in the AI era? She asked.
The National Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer, NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, restated the commission’s commitment to strengthening data governance and promoting ethical digital practices.
Represented by the Head of Innovation, Adaobi Nwankwo, Olatunji informed that the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) provided a strong framework for safeguarding personal data while supporting innovation.
He highlighted progress in licensing data protection officers, registering data controllers, investigating breaches and expanding collaboration across sectors.
With the rapid growth of AI, Internet of Things (IoT) devices and biometric identification systems, he said Africa must adopt harmonised, future-focused data protection systems to address emerging risks.
“Ethical and transparent data use must become a continental priority”, he added.
The Vice Chairperson (DPLAN), Dr Faith Okpara, admonishing that privacy protection should be part of the system design, called for regular data protection impact assessment.
Noting that communications tools should incorporate strong encryption, Okpara also warned on data minimisation, stating that data collectors should only obtain what is needed for a particular purpose.
Calling for greater public awareness on privacy rights, she urged collectors to discard data immediately after use.
The panel moderator, Abdulmalik Muhaimin of Chesslaw Consult, said that though adequate data protection is enshrined in the law, proper enforcement is key.
“One of the things we should consider is a uniform data privacy law to help with compliance obligations so that organisations don’t have to start checking what the specific differences are”, he said.
Also, Executive Director, Unwanted Witness, Uganda, Ms Dorothy Mukasa, called for safeguarding of digital transformation with accountability, citizen rights and ethical technology practices.
Mukasa urged stakeholders to ensure that the continent’s explosive technological growth does not become “a new frontier of inequality and exploitation”, imploring that privacy and trust must be treated as core pillars of the digital future.
“At a time when data is power, we must ask who holds that power and who is left vulnerable. From the AI models trained on unethically sourced data to surveillance that targets the very citizens’ technology – the challenges before us are not just technical but also moral”, she said.
Mukasa said the continent must push back against exploitative digital systems and build an ecosystem where governments, companies and innovators are held accountable for personal data collection and usage.
She also announced a milestone in her organisation’s flagship initiative – the Privacy Scorecard Report, describing it as a continental benchmark for ethical digital governance.
