“Country policies on data need to be aligned with regional and continental policies. It’s a joint effort - I cannot stress that enough.”
Data-Pop Alliance’s (DPA) Just Digital Transformations Program Director Talla Ndiaye participated in the recently concluded Connected Africa Summit 2024 (CAS), held from April 23rd to 25th in Nairobi, Kenya. With this year’s theme of “Shaping The Future of a Connected Africa: Unlocking Growth Beyond Connectivity”, data and digital transformation took center stage as delegates gathered to discuss strategies for leveraging these tools to improve the living conditions of people and communities across Africa.
During the panel titled, “Towards an Open, Fair, and Inclusive Data Economy in Africa,” hosted by the Digital for Development (D4D) Hub and Smart Africa through AU-EU Data Governance in Africa with support from the ICT Authority of Kenya, Talla shared insights on key success factors of data economy programs and policies, drawing from his experience at DPA working on projects such as Exploiting the Possibilities Offered by Big Data to Monitor the Achievements of the SDGs in Morocco (learn more) and the Assessment of the Data Market to Foster Interoperability of Data Markets and Cross-Border Data Flows in Mauritania (learn more). The panel also explored lessons learned from DPA’s collaborations with Smart Africa and GIZ in developing national data strategies for various African countries, with strategies for Senegal and Ghana as notable outcomes of this partnership.
The CAS 2024 concluded with the signing of the Nairobi Declaration by approximately ten African ministers in charge of ICT. The declaration outlined actions to harmonize legislation and regulations on ICT, promote knowledge sharing on AI, enable cross-border data sharing, harmonize ICT taxation, and foster collaboration on data centers. The full declaration can be found below.
In addition to panel discussions, Talla served as a judge for the CAS Innovation Pitching session, where groundbreaking innovations from East Africa were showcased, highlighting the region’s vibrant tech ecosystem.
CAS 2024 provided a platform for stakeholders from government, private sector, civil society, and multilateral organizations to engage in dialogue aimed at promoting an open, fair, and inclusive data economy in Africa. The event underscored the importance of leveraging data and digital technologies to drive social, economic, and sustainable development across the continent.
