High Level Youth IGF : Building a Resilient, Inclusive and Safe Digital Future for West Africa

Summary

This panel discussion focused on building a resilient, inclusive, and safe digital future for West Africa. Experts from various fields explored challenges and opportunities in digital access, cybersecurity, and policy development.

Key points included the need for affordable internet access, especially in rural areas. Strategies like reducing right-of-way charges and providing incentives for infrastructure deployment were suggested. The importance of developing national cybersecurity strategies and investing in human resources to handle emerging technologies was emphasized.

Inclusivity, particularly for persons with disabilities, was highlighted as crucial. Speakers stressed the need to consider accessibility from the outset when developing digital tools and policies. The discussion also touched on the rapid advancement of AI and the need for flexible, technology-agnostic policies to keep pace with innovation.

Digital literacy was identified as a critical component of online safety. Initiatives by both government agencies and private companies to improve digital literacy were mentioned. The importance of user empowerment in addition to protective policies was stressed.

Participants also discussed the balance between government revenue through taxation and ensuring affordable digital access for citizens. The need for collaborative efforts between governments, private sector, and civil society in developing digital policies was emphasized.

Overall, the discussion underscored that building a safe and inclusive digital future is a shared responsibility requiring coordinated efforts across sectors and stakeholders.

Keypoints

Major discussion points:

– Creating inclusive and accessible digital ecosystems, especially for people with disabilities

– Developing agile digital policies to keep pace with evolving technologies

– Ensuring online safety and protection of digital rights, particularly for vulnerable groups

– Promoting digital literacy and empowering users to protect themselves online

– Balancing government regulation/taxation with affordability and accessibility of digital services

The overall purpose of the discussion was to explore ways to build a resilient, inclusive and safe digital future for West Africa. The panelists examined challenges, opportunities, and potential policy approaches to achieve this goal across various sectors.

The tone of the discussion was largely informative and solution-oriented. Panelists shared expert insights in a collaborative manner, building on each other’s points. There was an emphasis on the importance of multi-stakeholder cooperation. The tone became slightly more urgent when discussing the need to catch up on AI regulation and digital literacy, but remained constructive overall.

Speakers

– Martin Koyabe: Senior manager for the AU for Global 4-to-1 Cyber Expertise

– Ibiso Kingsley George: Head of Internet Governance Unit at NCC

– Ephraim Oracca-Tetteh: Assistive technology trainer and e-learning champion from Ghana

– Victoria Oloni: Public policy manager for Anglophone West Africa at META

– Mariam Jobe: Moderator

Additional speakers:

– Anya: Mentioned but role not specified

– Ajijola: Mentioned as a technologist in Nigeria

– Binti: Audience member from Sierra Leone

– Sandra: Audience member

– Kenyatta Didwege: Executive Director of Human Rights Journalist Network Nigeria

– Osei Keja: Audience member from Ghana

Building a Resilient, Inclusive, and Safe Digital Future for West Africa

This panel discussion brought together experts from various fields to explore challenges and opportunities in digital access, cybersecurity, and policy development for West Africa. The overarching goal was to examine ways to build a resilient, inclusive, and safe digital future for the region.

Digital Inclusion and Accessibility

A key focus of the discussion was ensuring digital inclusion and accessibility, particularly for persons with disabilities and underserved communities. Ephraim Oracca-Tetteh, an assistive technology trainer from Ghana, emphasised the importance of involving persons with disabilities from the start when developing digital tools and platforms. He highlighted the additional costs faced by users with disabilities, noting that assistive software can make digital devices prohibitively expensive for some.

Ibiso Kingsley George, Head of Internet Governance Unit at NCC, focused on tariff management, access, and competition. He suggested regulating tariffs to ensure fairness and prevent excessive charges, while also highlighting the need to balance taxation with the goal of increasing internet access and adoption.

Dr. Martin Koyabe, senior manager at the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise, stressed the need for national AI strategies aligned with continental frameworks. This approach aims to ensure that emerging technologies are developed and deployed in ways that benefit all segments of society. He also emphasised the importance of investment in cybersecurity and the development of comprehensive cybersecurity strategies.

Victoria Oloni, Public Policy Manager for Anglophone West Africa at META, argued for creating flexible, technology-agnostic policies through iterative multi-stakeholder processes. She highlighted the importance of agile digital policies, emphasising flexibility, iterative development, and experimenting through sandboxing. Oloni also mentioned examples of collaborative policy development, such as the Startup Act in Nigeria and the online harm protection bill.

Online Safety and Digital Rights

The discussion focused heavily on promoting online safety and protecting digital rights. Dr. Koyabe emphasised the need to strengthen national cybersecurity posture through strategies, legislation, and capacity building. He stressed the importance of balancing security needs with privacy and freedom of expression, highlighting the delicate nature of effective regulation.

Victoria Oloni underscored the critical role of digital literacy in empowering users to protect themselves online. She argued that policies should not only protect people but also empower them to take an active role in their online safety. Oloni mentioned META’s “My Digital World” platform and its digital literacy efforts in Nigeria, as well as initiatives by the NCC and NIDDA.

Audience members emphasised the importance of a safe digital ecosystem where users are free from threats, bullying, and attacks, and where personal data is protected. They also stressed the need for inclusivity for people with disabilities in the digital space.

Affordability and Access

Addressing the challenge of affordability and access was a recurring theme. Ibiso Kingsley George suggested regulating tariffs to ensure fairness and prevent excessive charges. Ephraim Oracca-Tetteh brought attention to disability-related costs in affordability measures, emphasising that true accessibility must consider these additional expenses.

Emerging Technologies and Policy Development

The rapid advancement of AI and other emerging technologies was identified as a key challenge for policymakers. Victoria Oloni advocated for flexible, technology-agnostic policies developed through iterative multi-stakeholder processes. This approach aims to keep pace with innovation while considering diverse perspectives.

Digital Literacy and User Empowerment

Digital literacy emerged as a crucial component of online safety and user empowerment. The moderator highlighted the importance of digital responsibility for individual users. Audience members raised concerns about localising digital literacy efforts for non-tech savvy users and including teachers and students at the basic education level in digital literacy programmes.

Cultural Considerations and Trust-Building

Osei Keja, an audience member from Ghana, raised the important point of developing localised strategies to build trust in digital platforms while respecting cultural and linguistic diversity in West Africa. Dr. Koyabe suggested the need for harmonization of platforms, laws, and effectiveness in dealing with cross-border breaches to increase trust.

Conclusion

The discussion underscored that building a safe and inclusive digital future is a shared responsibility requiring coordinated efforts across sectors and stakeholders. Key takeaways included the need for collaboration between government, private sector, and citizens; the importance of considering disability inclusion from the outset; the ongoing challenge of affordability; the need for cybersecurity and data protection frameworks to keep pace with emerging technologies; and the crucial role of digital literacy in empowering users.

Unresolved issues included finding the right balance between taxation and improving internet affordability, developing specific strategies for localising online safety programmes, and creating detailed plans for digital literacy efforts in basic education. The discussion also touched on META’s response to recent fines over data protection issues in other jurisdictions, highlighting ongoing challenges in this area.

The panel provided a comprehensive overview of the challenges and opportunities in building a resilient, inclusive, and safe digital future for West Africa, setting the stage for further policy development and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

Mariam Jobe: Unfortunately, we have doubled the time for the tea break, so we are just quickly going to… We’re going straight into the high-level panel now. So as we’re coming in, let’s just sit. So right now, we’re kicking off the session with our high-level panel session. The theme for the high-level panel session is the theme for the day, which is building a resilient, inclusive, and safe digital future for West Africa. The session will explore what it truly means to create sustainable policies that ensure online safety, promote digital rights, and elevate the voices of West African youth in policymaking. This session will be moderated by Mariam Jobe, and we have an incredible lineup of panelists. So I would like to invite Mariam to welcome her panelists on stage and kick off the high-level session. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. The room isn’t as filled as it was when the parliamentarians and the senator and the minister was here, and it had more students and more youth. And they’re 18 minutes late. Do we want to wait two minutes for them to come? No? One minute. Okay. Well, good morning once again, or afternoon, a minute until it’s afternoon, and good afternoon to our online speakers as well. And I would like to welcome you all to this high-level session on the theme, building a resilient, inclusive, and safe digital future for West Africa. I trust that everyone here would agree with me that this is a conversation that is both timely and crucial. As our region continues to embrace the digital era, the stakes have never been higher before. From access to infrastructure to cyber security and governance across various sectors, West Africa stands at a pivotal crossroad. This session is designed to bring together thoughtful leaders in various sectors, innovators, and the overall West Africa Youth IJF has also invited civil society and policymakers to ensure that we have voices to envision a future where no one is left behind, where technology serves as a tool for empowerment, for safety, and for sustainable development. We are honored to have with us today a diverse lineup of established speakers who will be helping us unpack the challenges that exist in our sub-region. They will be helping us look at the opportunities that lie ahead, what has been done, and what can be done more. So thank you very much for joining us. And once again, I think this year’s theme reminds us that connectivity alone is not enough. So I would like to invite distinguished speakers. This is truly a hybrid experience because we have three of our speakers online, and I would introduce them first. We have Dr. Martin Koyabe, who is the senior manager for the AU for Global 4-to-1 Cyber Expertise. He will be joining us online. We also have Ephraim Oracca, who is the assistive technology trainer and e-learning champion from Ghana. And lastly, we have Mr. Osundu, who will be joining us online as well. He is the director of Innovative for Digital Inclusion. And in person with us, we have the public policy manager for Anglophone West Africa, Victoria. Please join us on stage. A round of applause for them, by the way. And lastly, we, last but not the least, we have Dr. Ibiso Kingsley, who works here at the NCC as the head of Internet Governance Unit. Please join us on stage. All right, thank you. I think, I think this session is going to be a very interesting conversation because I believe a lot of things about the theme, and three of those key things is that one, a truly inclusive digital ecosystem is one where we bridge the digital divide that on, it is 2025 and it still exists. We need to address inequalities in access, especially affordability and digital literacy. We need to build resilience through robust infrastructure, reliable systems, and strong cybersecurity safeguards. And last but not the least, we need to promote safety and rights. And this goes especially for the people who are in the vulnerable populations, including women, including youth as here today, and the underserved communities that are often left behind. But before I direct my questions to the panelists to share their experience or expertise, I would ask the young people in the room here, or maybe those who are not young as well, what does a safe digital ecosystem look like to you? If I could have someone, one of the ushers go around with a mic, if someone can raise their hand, just in a few words, in a few words, just tell us what does a safe digital landscape of safe digital ecosystem mean to you? What do you envision it to be? If you don’t raise your hand, I’ll pick someone that I see. Okay. We have someone here to the front, please stand, state your name and the country of from, and tell us what a safe digital

Audience: Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Binti from Sierra Leone. For me, a safe digital space is a safe space free of threat, free of bullying, and free of any attack. Thank you.

Mariam Jobe: Thank you very much, Binti. Thank you very much for that input. Anyone else? The students, you people use phones, you know, you’re on these social media platforms. Well, how we use the internet might be very different for how you use the internet right now, because you’re not really working online and things like that. So mostly, you would use the internet for school reasons or for entertainment and communications with friends. What are some of the concerns you have? There’s a hand over there.

Audience: Good morning, everyone. My name is Sandra.

Mariam Jobe: Where are you from, Sandra?

Audience: To me, a safe digital space is a digital ecosystem where my data is not being stolen or sold without my permission, where there is inclusivity, equity, where even people with disabilities are included, are factored into the digital space, and I think that’s something that we need to be very, very careful about. Where people are factored into digital solutions, and where there is no bias, and where there is no bullying, and where people are held accountable for their actions in the digital ecosystem.

Mariam Jobe: Thank you so much for that. Thank you. Yes. Another plus for her as well, because she mentioned something that’s very important, because when we talk about inclusivity, we often leave out those who are disabled. And like I mentioned before, this session is a very important one, because we have it as not just hybrid to ensure that those who aren’t present today are also included in the convo, but we also have one of our panelists who is actually visually impaired, and he might also be sharing his experience with that. And I like the word you used, accountability. That is something that has been a bit hard in the digital era, and I think maybe this panel will also dive a little into it. I would have taken another one, but… I think it’s ideal that we start the conversation now. So I will start with Dr. Ibiso Kingsley and I think you lead the Internet Governance Unit at the NTC and with your expertise in IG related issues with tariff management, access, competition, what are some policy levers or regulatory tools that can be used to to reduce inequality in digital access, especially for underserved communities?

Ibiso Kingsley George: Okay, so the NCC is a regulatory organization. So that starts from the tariff angle, the determination of tariffs must take into cognizance peculiarities of these groups to ensure that the tariffs are fair and devoid of any kind of excessive charges which would actually hinder acceptability and hence digital adoption. And then policy making should recognize the principles of accountability, as I said earlier on, fairness and transparency, incentives for rollouts to operators within the marginalized communities. We know that infrastructural deficits continue to be a challenge in Africa and in West Africa and collaborative efforts to link national broadband and national infrastructure across the region will help to have access even in the hinterlands. And I don’t want to go straight to USF funds because those are like incentives that the regulator would give. Consistent awareness and sensitization on cyber threats for users to bridge the digital, to ensure that there’s adoption and we bridge the digital divide, to promote local content to the manufacture of smart devices and telecommunications equipment. This will enhance acceptability and affordability, promote digital distribution programs that are inclusive and take into cognizance safety and security of consumers online. And lastly, I’d like to talk about the use of USF funds to drive access and connectivity, especially in the underserved and unserved regions. Thank you.

Mariam Jobe: Thank you. Thank you very much for that, Dr. Ibiso. Just to follow up on what you said, I also want to pinpoint that affordability is usually an issue, because when you talk about the underserved communities, or mostly the people from the rural regions, they don’t survive on what the people in the urban regions usually survive on. And so internet access, while it is a fundamental human right, and we’ve been advocating for it, pushing for it, there are some people who are still not connected. What are some of the efforts that the NCC is doing, or what are some of the efforts that you recommend that other countries also put in place to kind of support internet affordability?

Ibiso Kingsley George: One of the major setbacks to affordable internet in the rural areas is the cost of right of way, which helps for the deployment, which is key for the deployment of infrastructure. One of the things that the NCC has done in a way of collaboration is working with state governments to reduce the right of way charges to operators who seek to deploy in their states. In those kind of states, another thing that the NCC does is you now benefit from corporate social responsibility projects as a state who has adopted maybe zero right of way, or as little as possible, as low as possible in terms of right of way. So ultimately, you’re working towards reducing the cost of providing the services, which ultimately reduces the cost of the service. Another thing that I would say is also incentives for rollout in those underserved regions. We need to know, we need to put into perspective that operators are in every country to make profit However, we need to actually get everybody online And so to get everybody online, it is important that the operators also receive some incentive to go to those underserved areas Because those areas are not particularly profitable But it is a requisite that ensures that everybody is online and everybody is connected You want me to stop here? Okay, in terms of local content I think in Africa and across West Africa, we need to begin to be intentional about the manufacture of devices locally Because that will also help to reduce the cost of these devices To make access to mobile phones affordable, to access to smart affordable mobile phones Also, I know that the last Nigerian national broadband plan that would expire this year Focused on that the cost of data should not be more than one third of the minimum wage of this country I think that is actually ensuring that everybody has access to data and the internet Thank you

Mariam Jobe: Thank you, thank you so much for that I like the last point you made about how it’s actually been made that the cost of data should not be more than one third of the average I think that’s very important because then it puts people, it puts operators as well When they’re doing their tariffs for the cost of data into a box where you cannot exceed this limit And I think those are just some of the things that government or regulators can act to also support the affordability of data I would move on now to our ninth speaker, Dr. Martin technical team. Can we see if Dr. Martin is online? If you can hear me. Good, good. Okay. So Dr. Martin, as I mentioned earlier, he leads the, he’s at the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise as a senior manager. And well, Cyber Expertise, I know we talk about a lot about cyber security and things like that. And we started the conversation with asking the audience here, what does a safe digital ecosystem look like to them? So Dr. Martin, as digital adaptation grows, I think it’s very evident that the risk also grow with it. What steps should governments and platforms take to ensure online safety and the protection of digital rights for users, especially those who are vulnerable? First of all, let me thank the IGF, especially the West African IGF for this opportunity. Dr. Martin, a second, please. We’re not hearing you.

Martin Koyabe: Hello. Can you hear me? Hello. Can you hear me?

Mariam Jobe: Yes. I think we can hear you now. Go on.

Martin Koyabe: Okay. I just wanted to, first of all, thank the West Africa IGF secretariat and all, and everybody else for this particular invite and all protocols observed. Let me try and follow up on what has just been going on in terms of the intervention. And I think I agree with the previous panelist.

Mariam Jobe: Dr. Martin, I’m sorry to interrupt. We can hear you, but only faintly. And it’s not at your end though. It’s the volume at our end. So you can just give us a few seconds while we just readjust that at our end, please. You may go ahead now.

Martin Koyabe: Yeah. Thank you. As I was saying, I just wanted to add on to what the previous panelist has just mentioned, that there’s a need for us to really look holistically at the issue of security, and especially when it comes to cyber risks. that have increased in the last few years. Every country, including many of the West African countries are involved in what we call the digital transformation where we are now increasingly depending on the digital platform for services. And inevitably, we therefore are exposed to specific vulnerabilities because of that. And what that means is that many governments need to look at how do you make sure that your digital infrastructure is resilient, it is secure, and above all, it can provide the services that the citizens deserve in a secure and a private manner that actually follows the rules of the land. And to do that, there are specific interventions that many governments could do. Number one would be to issue or to really strengthen what we call the cyber security posture of the country. The country needs to have what we call a cyber security strategy. The strategy has various trends. It will look at things like the legislation of the country, how strong the legislation is, policies, regulation. And I know this is an NCC colleague who is on the panel and they understand very well that the ecosystem should have clear regulation that really governs and even protects the consumer. There are areas such as the issue of enhancing awareness. And I think the West African IGF and this kind of platform and all the audience who are in the room are involved in this particular sector because we are spreading the awareness to be able to know exactly what issues need to be looked at. There are other areas, for example, the issues about capacity building. How do we ensure that the curriculum in our colleges, the training, and also the awareness within the legislative arm and the… executive arm and the judiciary of the country are aware of this particular aspect. So awareness really goes beyond what we call just a specific area of the national building to the expanded notion. But just to come back to my point, there is a need that governments and digital platform have a shared responsibility to ensure that online safety is upheld and especially digital rights of individuals such as freedom of expression and access to information. So these are fundamentals that need to be looked at. And just to make sure that we are on the right track, especially when it comes to promoting digital rights and privacy, there is a need to uphold what we call the freedom of expression while combating specific aspects of not inhibiting innovation, not making sure that the citizens can be able to express themselves, communicate with themselves. And that is important because what that means is that the country moves in the right direction. The other aspect is also just the issue about surveillance and privacy. There is this notion that sometimes governments do consider security over and above individual privacy. And it’s understood, but the point is there has to be a balance where we know very well at what point are we infringing human privacy and dignity of the citizens that we are actually ruling or that are in that particular country vis-a-vis the security element of the country that we know today. So in summary, I would look at specific areas of interventions. One is the strategy development of the nation. Secondly, is enhancing the CERT. And the CERT is a very important component of building up the nations. And then there is the issue around protection and data protection laws that should be enhanced. within the particular country. And then lastly, is the issue that I’ve always actually looked at, is the investment. So if you look at West Africa, and if you look at ECOWAS region, the GDP in combination, this is in 2023, was over 700 billion US dollars. It is therefore incumbent that many of the countries need to invest in cyber. Cyber security should not be looked at that equipment or ICT equipment in the corner and calling all these techies when there’s an issue. It is an enabler for economic development and prosperity of our community. And I want to echo what Anya said, that the youth should be involved in the solutions of tomorrow, but not just be heard. And I think that was a very strong, powerful message that she mentioned, including what the speaker, the last speaker, the minister said, that we need to be proud of our culture, to be proud of our solution. So the question really is, and I want to challenge the room, that the youth who are there, we need to look at solutions that are within our environment. We need to create solutions that actually help us solve the problems that are around us. So when we come to things like AI and others, those are the kind of aspects that I’ll be talking about. But for now, I want to stop there just to give my other panelists an opportunity. Thank you.

Mariam Jobe: Yes, thank you. Thank you so much for that, Dr. Martin. A round of applause for him, please, because this was a very important deliberation. Thank you very much. And you actually highlighted two things that I’m going to follow up on. And the main one is that you’re talking about the fact that countries need to adopt cyber security strategy in terms of online safety and protection of digital rights. And I think we’re aware that the AU has a mulatto convention that was ratified, and a lot of the African countries in the region would kind of use it as a guide, a baseline for the adoption of their own cyber security strategy or cyber security build that they have. But now, in your last point, you talked about the emerging AI and now we know that it is moving very fast and accelerating very fast. And there’s still some countries that have not, that do not have robust cyber security frameworks that exist in their legislation or in their builds. So how do we kind of strike a balance or try to catch up with AI to ensure that there are frameworks or regulations put in place or capacity building to ensure, to govern its ethical use and ensure that it does more good than harm for the population? If you could just shed some light on that.

Martin Koyabe: Okay, just a quick one on that. I think there’s no doubt that the AI, especially when you look at emerging technology, it moves faster than regulation. And I know NCC colleagues will agree with me, and having worked in this space for a while, it is therefore incumbent that a regulator or regulation of whichever emerging technology that comes in must be aware of where we are coming from and where we are going. It’s just like the analogy, and I know Ajijola, who is a very good friend of mine and a very well-known technologist in Nigeria, once said that regulation is like applying salt to food. So the more you apply, the food will not be very tasty. It will be very, very bad. But the less you apply also, it is tasteless. So you have to be very keen in how you apply regulation. But coming back to your point, there are specific frameworks that have been initiated in the continent. For example, we have the Continental AI Strategy, which at this particular point in time, is actually being figured out in terms of, it has already been ratified by all the countries, member states in Africa. It’s now being looked at in terms of implementation. Now, what countries can do, and the young colleagues who are in the room, what you can do is really to start investigating where your country is with respect to AI. I’ll be very, very, very poignant here. There are only roughly about, I believe, roughly about 10 countries in Africa, out of the 60 in the world, that already have a structure on AI, and I think that is a very small figure when you consider that Africa has roughly about 55 states. So we really have a lot of work to do. Number one is to look at the Africa continental, the AI strategy that has been adopted at the continental level in Africa, and then try and look at what areas of implementation would be relevant to your local country. So that’s the first step. The second issue is to look at the areas of where AI is applied, because AI is not just being applied in one specific sector, it’s being applied in health, it’s being applied in transport, it’s being applied in education, and so forth. And then look at what are the critical aspects ethically that do affect the implementation of AI. There are issues such as loss of jobs, which we all talk about. But somebody could also argue that we could use the significance of AI to make sure that our operations are efficient. We’ll come back to that at some point, because there’s a debate about use of AI for enhancing cybersecurity and looking at AI being used by adversaries to really, really inflict damage to us as we well know it. So really, what we could add from my point of view is that there has to be a policy, there has to be a strategy that is adopted at the national level that is aligned with the continental aspiration. That’s number one. There has also to be a national strategy that is developed that embraces emerging technology as a key fundamental contribution and factor within the future of digital prosperity of many of the member states. And then thirdly, there’s the human factor. And the human factor means that we need to invest in how we build the human resource to understand emerging technology. And let me be very specific. If you look at the continent, in 2025 or 2050, the continent will have roughly about 40% of the world youth population in the world. And that is a significant number. So therefore, member states who are in the room, ministers, agencies, people who actually make decisions, members of parliament, we should take on this so that we can be able to invest more in the human resource because that’s what we need in the future. Back to you, thank you.

Mariam Jobe: All right, thank you. Thank you so much for that intervention. And when you said the quote from Dr. Ajijola, I recall because he always gives out those kinds of quotes when he speaks. And he, in fact, was not able to join us today but will be joining us for the main forum tomorrow and Friday. And it also, I think there’s a thin line between regulating and ensuring that people have the liberty to do what they’re doing, but also trying to put in frameworks so there’s accountability, which I think is something that’s also very important with the way that the digital transformation is taking place and the fast, very rapid pace that all these technologies are coming up. So thank you very much for that. I will now head to Ephraim from Ghana, who’s also online. Ephraim, as I mentioned earlier, is an assistive technology trainer and e-learning champion. And I want to ask you, Ephraim, as West Africa advocates for digital transformation, how can we ensure that digital tools and platforms are inclusive and accessible to persons with disabilities and other marginalized groups, but from the start and not just considered as an afterthought? How do we ensure that they’re part of the process from the get-go?

Ephraim Oracca-Tetteh: Okay, thank you very much. Thanks for also acknowledging, Miriam, from the start that it should be made available or the space within which the internet operation should be made available for persons with disability right from the start. That’s a key point to take note of, because what often happens is that people would start, or most of these options for the internet would start without having persons with disability involved. And what happens is that they are later considered in the planning process or in the creation process and that’s where the problem is. So if we are to start on the basis of everybody being involved, that cuts away a lot of cost damage probably being cared after. It’s like building a house, and I like to use analogies for such explanations. So you’re building a house and you don’t make room for persons with mobility issues to enter into your institution or your house, and maybe there are only stairs. So if I’m using a wheelchair and I happen to come into your house, I will find it very difficult to enter, and that’s where the problem is. So if the internet space right from the start is not made available for us, it makes it difficult for us to equally participate. And it’s obvious over time how persons with disability equally are participating in various sectors of economy, from the financial bits to every single aspect of it. So in that sense, like you mentioned, it should rightly start from the start. If it will begin from the start, one thing is the issue of literacy or teaching. So most of these, for instance, most of these AI tools that I have, you would realize that people will have training, they will have digital training for everybody to partake in but it is often the case that you will not find there being an availability, making room for persons with disabilities especially persons with visual impairments to participate in these courses you can take part in the course alright, but by the end or by the time you begin the course you tend to realize that oh, this course has been quite modelled for persons who can only see and that’s where the problem is, so right from the onset in terms of literacy if we are able to make it available for everybody, everybody to start with I mean it limits our course, for instance if I find it difficult and I come to an institution to inform you about it you now have to redraft and see how you can better your website or better your application or better whatever platform I’m using, okay, but right from the onset if we are considering and factor into the conversation it makes it easier for everybody to benefit and the funny thing is it’s not just a matter of me benefiting, later maybe you can also benefit because I mean we are not all guaranteed our safety but for instance in terms of old age, some of our parts, I mean our body tends to weaken it could be your eyesight, it could be hearing impairment, it could be mobility challenges and in that sense you would equally come and benefit from that so right from the onset if you are able to make it available and accessible for all I guess that makes it inclusive enough, so in terms of literacy we can talk in terms of let’s say the financials, okay what I believe happens is for especially I think this morning we’ve talked about affordability for the first panelist, for a person with disability we have what we call disability cost, okay so if you have a laptop and you’re using it right and going to the internet and doing what you have. As a person with visual impairments, if I’m to use the same laptop, I would have to get access to certain applications that would make it accessible for me. So if I’m to purchase that software, that software is an extra cost in addition to that laptop. So in a way, affordability becomes a problem. And I mean, that is plus the affordability issue we are discussing today in terms of that the technological devices being available and all. So these are equally certain things if considered, especially for persons with disability, maybe some discounts or some room being given to them to make such arrangements for them in their digital space, that would be a way of making the space more inclusive and accessible for all. So that would be my first submission.

Mariam Jobe: Thank you. Thank you so much for that, Ephraim Oracca-Tetteh. And you made a very important point. And based on your deliberation, I think it is, there are certain things that would often require one to go back to the drawing table. And I think this accessibility issue, especially for persons with disabilities, is one of them, because, you know, like you said, involving them and having them in mind and keeping them inclusive from the get-go really just changes a lot of dynamics for everyone. And it will also take me to my next question, which is directed at Victoria, because, you know, you work as a public policy manager at META. So how would you recommend that our countries in the sub-region and work with platforms and other like public, private and such to create agile digital policies that keep pace with evolving technologies, while also ensuring inclusion and safety for all users? And it would also be great if you could shed some light on inclusion with the disabilities as well.

Victoria Oloni: Hi everyone. Can I pick this up? Yes. Thank you very much. The question on Agile policies, Agile digital policies, Dr. Martin already started us off well on that point, mentioning that, you know, regulation always plays catch-up to innovation. So for policies to actually deal with emerging technology the way they should, they have to be Agile. And to answer this question, we need to look at and examine what it means for a policy to be Agile. So first of all, it has to be flexible. This means that digital policies must be adaptable to emerging technology. We would see and understand that technology, especially emerging technology, changes every day. There’s something new every time. So the law must be adaptable and flexible to deal with this. And we say how. One way this has been addressed is policies should, as much as possible, be technology agnostic. So there should be focus on broader principles, on broader goals, rather than specific technology. So if there is a change, if there is a new technology innovation, the law doesn’t have to be completely overhauled. It could just be slightly updated or broadly interpreted to deal with those changes. Another important point is that there must be an iterative development process. There must be transparency and collaboration when developing digital policies. This means that through the process, multi-stakeholders should be involved, from other regulators, to private sector technology experts, to civil society, and also to Ephraim Oracca-Tetteh’s point, having stakeholders from out of the community of people with disabilities, we should involve them from the very start. There shouldn’t be afterthoughts. And this is what an iterative process looks like. And a good example of this would be the Startup Act in Nigeria from 2022, which was a product of The start-up industry, we saw a lot, we saw that process driven by people from the start-up space and they contributed a lot to the development of that process. We see that happening again now with the online harm protection bill, which is also a very holistic, which also involves very holistic stakeholder engagement. Yesterday, the Honorable Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy also announced the publication of a paper relating to the launch of a co-creation process for national blockchain policy. So this policy is going to be developed by basically everybody involved in the blockchain ecosystem. When policies take into consideration feedback from stakeholders, from the people who interpret or implement or the people who these policies affect directly, then it’s going to be agile. I’m also going to talk about experimenting and testing because the issue of AI also came up. It’s very important that when you are trying to develop a digital strategy, probably around emerging technology, that you test it using a small space before scaling it and regulating across board. Because these things are changing so rapidly, it’s important to take a step back to understand what it looks like and that’s the importance of a concept like sandboxing. So before you scale regulation for a notoriety technology, blockchain, AI, internet of things, it’s important to test it within a small environment to see how it works, understand how the technology works and things around that. They also mentioned around inclusion, safety for online users. It’s also important that these things are incorporated in digital policies from the start. And this could be by including provisions around having safety tools. on platforms, provisions around digital literacy and I want to talk about digital literacy because it’s an important part of safety. Our friends at the NCC and our friends at NIDDA are doing amazing work on this. I saw back as 2021 I know the NCC had launched an initiative around digital literacy. NIDDA in 2023 launched their digital literacy framework and earlier last year they also launched the digital literacy for all platform which is looking to reach a 95% digital literacy which is looking to have 95% of Nigerians digitally literate by 2030. That’s a very ambitious goal but it’s also a very noble goal. At META we have a platform called My Digital World which since 2021 has equipped over 200,000 Nigerians with digital tools to protect themselves online. Why is digital literacy important? Why is digital literacy important? One, it’s one thing for a policy to protect people. It’s another thing for a policy to empower people to protect themselves online and that is what digital literacy does. So with these tools, with these initiatives that the government and the private sector is spearheading and championing in Nigeria and even across West Africa, we can see users, Nigerians, West Africans themselves getting in power to protect themselves online.

Mariam Jobe: Can I give a round of applause? I love the last point you made. The one where you said it’s one thing for policy to protect people and it’s another for a policy to empower people to protect themselves. I think it’s important because cyber hygiene, I know there are people who don’t like that word cyber hygiene but I think we’re in a point where cyber hygiene is very important and I just want to throw it to the floor as well. How many people here have actually took the time to, by themselves or through their school or through a mentor or a friend or so, dedicated a few, you know, a little time to just learn about how to stay safe online. If you have, just can you please raise your hand? I’m not seeing hands at all. One, two. Okay. So from the, and they’re not only young people, they’re grown people as well. So I think digital responsibility is also a thing that we have to talk about because we often blame, we often like to blame platforms. We often like to blame the government and policymakers and things like that. But I also think that we have a self responsibility to ourselves and to how we use the internet, how we use these devices as well to ensure that we’re safe, to ensure that we’re using it responsibly. And this conversation is something that can go on the whole day. You have something you want to add?

Victoria Oloni: Yes, please. So for everyone that is here now, since we’ve not actively tried to get some information about digital literacy, you can just open your preferred search engine and look for my digital world. What’s great about this platform is that it contains modules for both young people and adults. So if you want to learn about how to protect yourself online, basic knowledge in simple terms that everybody can understand, you can just look it up now, my digital world, and then take it from there to get better knowledge on how to protect yourself online.

Mariam Jobe: Thank you so much for that. And I highly recommend that you do that. If you’re not connected to the internet, maybe ask one of the OSHAs to help you do that. And you can do it right now on your phone. You don’t have to waste time. There is a question from the online participants. Unfortunately, Mr. Osun isn’t with us online, so we will open the floor for one or two questions from the floor. But there’s already a question online, so I’ll just read that out and one of the panelists can take that up. So the question is, how easy is the process if we need to get more tax for government and also reduce cost accessibility for citizens? Oh yeah, that’s the question. How easy is the process if we need to get more tax for government and also reduce cost accessibility for citizens? Do you want to answer?

Ibiso Kingsley George: To increase taxes for government? More taxes? That’s increase taxes for government as well as get more people online. There’s something called economics of scale. So the more people you get online, the more activities they do online and the more taxes the government is able to amass. However, if our tax policies are unfavourable to digital platforms, there’s a tendency that digital platforms will shy away from providing certain services in certain countries, ultimately leading to a greater digital divide. You have less people online. So as you have less people online, the government is not able to make as much money that it originally intended to make by increasing the taxes. So there has to be a balance between the desire to earn and the desire to see that your citizenry are digitally literate, are online and have access. Because I think another thing that needs to be mentioned that the internet is beginning to be like a basic good. It can be akin to living in a house, having access to education, having access to water. So the internet is assuming that role. And as the internet continues to assume that role, governments have to be deliberate about how they create access and how they desire to earn. Thank you.

Mariam Jobe: A round of applause, please. Thank you very much for that. Can we take one question from the floor? Okay, there are about four or five hands raised. Who’s with the mic? No, not you, Abego, please. Those hands were raised first. Please give it to the man in the wine, the wine-colored haftan over there. Yes, his hand was raised first, and then we’ll take one from the one in cream at the back.

Audience: Thank you. My name is Kenyatta Didwege. I’m the Executive Director of Human Rights Journalist Network Nigeria. So, given the recent fine imposed on META in another jurisdiction over data protection issues, how is META applying the lessons learned to strengthen compliance, transparency, and user safety framework in West Africa, especially in collaboration with local regulators like NCC? Thank you.

Mariam Jobe: All right, thank you. We’ll take the next question over there behind him at the back. Sir, yes. If you can keep it as direct as he was, it will be great. We’re short on time.

Audience: Thank you very much. My first question is to META and has to do with how, or what efforts are you putting in place to localize your programs around online safety for the market women or those that are still very, they’re not so tech savvy, right, because they are largely the victims of online harassment and all of that. Then the second thing, because I lead Innovation and Instructional Technology at UBEC, and we have been doing a lot around digital literacy and so on for schools. So, what programs do you have to also digitally include, you know, put teachers and students at the basic education level? Thank you very much.

Mariam Jobe: Thank you very much. Unfortunately, that would be all. We’ll just take the last one from Mr. Lake Asia here, down here, and we’ll give. Victoria, to answer the meta-related questions in one minute. So straight to the point. Keja, keep it brief. Thank you.

Audience: Thank you very much. My name is Osei Keja from Ghana. My question is that I want to know, given the rise of digital fraud and misinformation in West Africa, what kind of localized strategies can be implemented to build trust in digital platforms while respecting culture and linguistic diversity? Thank you.

Mariam Jobe: Do you have anyone you want to direct to specifically or can I open that to Dr. Martin online? So she will take that up in one minute after Victoria answers. Victoria, you have the floor.

Victoria Oloni: Thank you for your questions on the investigation. I’m not at liberty to comment on that. Thank you. And with respect to our digital literacy efforts with black women and students in school, our first address students in schools, we had a collaboration with Junior Achievement in 2023 and 2024, where we had a safe online quiz competition that engaged 50 schools across 14 states in Nigeria. And what this program did is it produced 150 ambassadors, secondary school students, who went ahead to engage with over 11,500 of their peers talking about digital literacy and safe online practices. Now what happens now is we have an initial data set to work with and scale from there. But yes, we have students and young people in mind in our digital literacy efforts at META regarding market. Okay, thank you so much. We can speak later on other issues.

Mariam Jobe: We can continue the conversation after this. Dr. Martin, over to you.

Martin Koyabe: Yeah, just very quickly, the question that was asked was how we build trust. And I think Part of it reflects on how cross-border data should be treated. Many countries within West Africa, and indeed even in the continent, maybe they do have what we call the Office of the Data Commissioner, and I know West African countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, and so forth have that kind of office, so that’s important to establish. Number two, it’s also important to have what we call the Data Protection and Privacy Law within the country so that the country can have what we call resprocative ways of how to interact. The issue of sandboxes is very important for emerging technology or emerging services. Sandboxes are very important, especially when they’re established within countries so that specific platforms can be tested. We are now talking of the Africa continental free trade area. They’re also doing a lot of work in that particular space, so therefore to increase trust, we then need to see how we can harmonize our platforms, we can harmonize our laws, and then we can harmonize the effectiveness of how we deal with the breaches that occur across borders. Thank you.

Mariam Jobe: Yes, thank you, thank you very much. You’re right on time, maybe just a second over. Thank you very much, Dr. Martin, and I’d like to thank you, Ephraim Oracca-Tetteh as well, online, and Dr. Martin for your deliberations, and Victoria and Dr. Ibiso, thank you for your time, and I think this session has really kind of shone light that, you know, building a resilient, safe, and inclusive digital future isn’t really just a policy goal, but it is a shared responsibility between the youth. Digital responsibility is something that you have to do on your own as well, between the private sector and the public sector, and it, you know, from bridging the digital divide to ensuring that we strengthen our infrastructure and beyond, I think there’s a lot of work that has to be done, but of course we have the power to do so. I’d like to thank you once again, and thank you to the audience for your engagement.

Agreement points

Importance of digital inclusion and accessibility

Speakers

– Ephraim Oracca-Tetteh
– Ibiso Kingsley George
– Martin Koyabe
– Victoria Oloni
– Mariam Jobe

Arguments

Consider disability-related costs in affordability measures

Reduce right of way charges and provide incentives for infrastructure rollout in underserved areas

Develop national AI strategies aligned with continental frameworks

Create flexible, technology-agnostic policies through iterative multi-stakeholder processes

Bridging the digital divide is crucial for an inclusive digital ecosystem

Summary

All speakers emphasized the need for inclusive digital policies that consider various user groups, including persons with disabilities and underserved communities.

Need for robust cybersecurity and data protection measures

Speakers

– Martin Koyabe
– Victoria Oloni
– Mariam Jobe

Arguments

Strengthen national cybersecurity posture through strategies, legislation and capacity building

Establish data protection laws and cross-border data sharing frameworks

Building resilience through robust infrastructure and cybersecurity is essential

Summary

Speakers agreed on the importance of strong cybersecurity measures and data protection frameworks to ensure a safe digital environment.

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers emphasized the need for flexible and fair regulatory approaches that consider the needs of various stakeholders.

Speakers

– Ibiso Kingsley George
– Victoria Oloni

Arguments

Regulate tariffs to ensure fairness and prevent excessive charges

Create flexible, technology-agnostic policies through iterative multi-stakeholder processes

Both speakers highlighted the importance of empowering users while balancing security and individual rights in the digital space.

Speakers

– Martin Koyabe
– Victoria Oloni

Arguments

Balance security needs with privacy and freedom of expression

Empower users through digital literacy initiatives

Unexpected consensus

Importance of local solutions and cultural considerations

Speakers

– Martin Koyabe
– Audience

Arguments

Develop national AI strategies aligned with continental frameworks

Localized strategies are needed to build trust in digital platforms while respecting cultural diversity

Explanation

Both a technical expert and an audience member emphasized the need for localized, culturally sensitive approaches to digital development, highlighting an unexpected alignment between expert and public perspectives.

Overall assessment

Summary

The main areas of agreement included the importance of digital inclusion, robust cybersecurity measures, flexible regulatory approaches, and empowering users through digital literacy.

Consensus level

There was a high level of consensus among speakers on the need for inclusive, secure, and user-empowering digital policies. This consensus suggests a strong foundation for developing comprehensive strategies to address digital challenges in West Africa, though implementation details may require further discussion.

Different viewpoints

Approach to digital inclusion and accessibility

Speakers

– Ephraim Oracca-Tetteh
– Ibiso Kingsley George

Arguments

Consider disability-related costs in affordability measures

Reduce right of way charges and provide incentives for infrastructure rollout in underserved areas

Summary

While both speakers address digital inclusion, Ephraim focuses on disability-specific costs, while Ibiso emphasizes broader infrastructure and cost reduction strategies.

Unexpected differences

Overall assessment

Summary

The main areas of disagreement revolve around specific approaches to digital inclusion, policy development, and balancing security with privacy.

Disagreement level

Low to moderate. The speakers generally agree on overarching goals but differ in their specific focus areas or proposed solutions. This level of disagreement is constructive for the topic at hand, as it provides diverse perspectives on addressing complex digital challenges in West Africa.

Partial agreements

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers emphasized the need for flexible and fair regulatory approaches that consider the needs of various stakeholders.

Speakers

– Ibiso Kingsley George
– Victoria Oloni

Arguments

Regulate tariffs to ensure fairness and prevent excessive charges

Create flexible, technology-agnostic policies through iterative multi-stakeholder processes

Both speakers highlighted the importance of empowering users while balancing security and individual rights in the digital space.

Speakers

– Martin Koyabe
– Victoria Oloni

Arguments

Balance security needs with privacy and freedom of expression

Empower users through digital literacy initiatives

Key takeaways

Building a resilient, safe, and inclusive digital future requires collaboration between government, private sector, and citizens

Digital inclusion must consider persons with disabilities from the start, not as an afterthought

Affordability remains a key challenge for expanding internet access, especially in underserved areas

Cybersecurity and data protection frameworks need to keep pace with emerging technologies like AI

Digital literacy is crucial for empowering users to protect themselves online

Resolutions and action items

Develop national AI strategies aligned with continental frameworks

Create flexible, technology-agnostic policies through iterative multi-stakeholder processes

Establish data protection laws and cross-border data sharing frameworks

Promote local manufacturing of devices to enhance affordability

Expand digital literacy initiatives, especially for youth and underserved groups

Unresolved issues

How to balance increased taxation with the need to improve internet affordability and access

Specific strategies for localizing online safety programs for non-tech savvy users like market women

Concrete steps for META to improve compliance and transparency in West Africa following fines in other jurisdictions

Detailed plans for including teachers and students at the basic education level in digital literacy efforts

Suggested compromises

Balance security needs with privacy and freedom of expression in cybersecurity policies

Find equilibrium between government’s desire to earn tax revenue and the need to increase internet access and adoption

Unfortunately, we have doubled the time for the tea break, so we are just quickly going to… We’re going straight into the high-level panel now.

Speaker

Mariam Jobe

Reason

This comment sets the tone for the urgency and importance of the discussion, despite logistical challenges.

Impact

It focused participants’ attention and emphasized the significance of the upcoming panel, leading to a more engaged start to the session.

To me, a safe digital space is a digital ecosystem where my data is not being stolen or sold without my permission, where there is inclusivity, equity, where even people with disabilities are included, are factored into the digital space, and I think that’s something that we need to be very, very careful about.

Speaker

Audience member Sandra

Reason

This comment comprehensively outlines key aspects of digital safety and inclusivity, including data protection and accessibility for people with disabilities.

Impact

It broadened the scope of the discussion beyond just cybersecurity to include data privacy and inclusivity, which were then addressed by subsequent speakers.

One of the major setbacks to affordable internet in the rural areas is the cost of right of way, which helps for the deployment, which is key for the deployment of infrastructure.

Speaker

Ibiso Kingsley George

Reason

This comment highlights a specific, often overlooked challenge in expanding internet access to rural areas.

Impact

It shifted the conversation to practical, on-the-ground issues of infrastructure deployment, leading to a discussion of potential solutions like reduced right of way charges and incentives for operators.

Regulation is like applying salt to food. So the more you apply, the food will not be very tasty. It will be very, very bad. But the less you apply also, it is tasteless. So you have to be very keen in how you apply regulation.

Speaker

Dr. Martin Koyabe (quoting Dr. Ajijola)

Reason

This analogy provides a memorable and insightful way of understanding the delicate balance required in regulation.

Impact

It framed the subsequent discussion on regulation, particularly around emerging technologies like AI, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach.

As a person with visual impairments, if I’m to use the same laptop, I would have to get access to certain applications that would make it accessible for me. So if I’m to purchase that software, that software is an extra cost in addition to that laptop. So in a way, affordability becomes a problem.

Speaker

Ephraim Oracca-Tetteh

Reason

This comment provides a concrete example of the additional costs and challenges faced by people with disabilities in accessing digital technologies.

Impact

It deepened the discussion on inclusivity by highlighting specific barriers and costs, leading to considerations of how to make digital access more equitable for all users.

It’s one thing for a policy to protect people. It’s another thing for a policy to empower people to protect themselves online and that is what digital literacy does.

Speaker

Victoria Oloni

Reason

This comment succinctly captures the importance of digital literacy in online safety, shifting the focus from passive protection to active empowerment.

Impact

It led to a discussion on the importance of digital literacy initiatives and personal responsibility in online safety, broadening the conversation beyond just policy and regulation.

Overall assessment

These key comments shaped the discussion by broadening its scope from general cybersecurity concerns to include specific issues like rural infrastructure challenges, inclusivity for people with disabilities, the nuances of regulation, and the importance of digital literacy. They helped to ground the conversation in practical realities while also emphasizing the need for a holistic, balanced approach to building a safe and inclusive digital future. The comments also highlighted the interconnected nature of various aspects of digital development, from policy and infrastructure to education and personal empowerment.

How can countries in West Africa catch up with AI to ensure frameworks or regulations are put in place to govern its ethical use?

Speaker

Mariam Jobe

Explanation

This is important to address the rapid advancement of AI and ensure it does more good than harm for the population.

How can digital literacy efforts be localized for market women and those who are not tech-savvy?

Speaker

Audience member

Explanation

This is crucial to protect vulnerable populations who are often victims of online harassment and fraud.

What programs does META have to digitally include teachers and students at the basic education level?

Speaker

Audience member

Explanation

This is important for expanding digital literacy efforts to schools and younger populations.

What kind of localized strategies can be implemented to build trust in digital platforms while respecting culture and linguistic diversity in West Africa?

Speaker

Osei Keja

Explanation

This is crucial for addressing the rise of digital fraud and misinformation while considering local contexts.