Internet Data Governance and Trust in Nigeria | IGF 2023 Open Forum #67

Nnenna Nwakanma

The analysis of the speeches reveals several noteworthy points made by different speakers. One speaker argues that data governance should not stifle innovation, but rather motivate it. This perspective highlights the importance of fostering an environment that encourages innovation and allows for the creation and development of new ideas.

Another speaker emphasizes that the value of data lies in its effective use, rather than simply relying on population size. The speaker highlights that economic value can be derived from the creation and reuse of data, and that leveraging data effectively can contribute to wealth creation and poverty reduction. This argument sheds light on the potential for data to drive economic growth and social development, emphasizing the need for strategies that focus on maximizing the utility and impact of data.

On a more negative note, there is a sentiment of dissatisfaction with data governance in Nigeria, as it is perceived to reflect the overall governance standards of the country. This observation suggests that concerns about the state of data governance might be indicative of broader governance challenges, pointing to the need for comprehensive governance reforms to address these issues.

On a positive note, there is support for citizens having access to and actively creating data. This perspective highlights the importance of empowering individuals to participate in data generation and ensuring that they have the necessary tools and resources to contribute to the data ecosystem. It underlines the belief that data should not be exclusive or controlled by a select few, but rather open to all citizens to promote transparency, accountability, and participation.

Lastly, there is a consensus among the speakers that continued dialogue among stakeholders is crucial. This observation recognizes the need for ongoing conversations and collaboration to build trust and strengthen relationships between different actors involved in data governance. This highlights the importance of creating platforms and opportunities for stakeholders to come together, exchange ideas, and work towards common goals.

In conclusion, the analysis of the speeches sheds light on various aspects of data governance. It highlights the need to promote innovation, harness the effective use of data, address governance challenges, empower citizens in data creation, and foster dialogue among stakeholders. These insights provide valuable guidance for policymakers and stakeholders in the field of data governance, emphasizing the importance of taking a holistic approach to ensure equitable and effective data governance practices.

Kunle Olorundare

The analysis consists of several arguments surrounding internet and digital rights. The first argument suggests that the internet should be open, with the internet being referred to as the network of networks. It highlights that data is generated on the internet, emphasizing the importance of an open and accessible internet for everyone. This argument is supported by the positive sentiment towards an open internet.

The second argument focuses on individual privacy rights. It asserts that everyone should have the right to privacy when using the internet or phone. The Internet Society, an organisation mentioned in the analysis, is stated to believe in digital rights and supports the idea of individual privacy. This argument also has a positive sentiment towards the importance of privacy for individuals.

The third argument discusses the need for individuals to have control over their own data. The Internet Society is mentioned to believe that communication should be encrypted end-to-end and supports the concept of rights to be forgotten. This argument highlights the importance of data sovereignty and privacy, aligning with the positive sentiment towards individuals having control over their data.

The fourth argument revolves around how government, the international community, or the private sector can contribute to strategy challenges and solutions related to data and digital rights in the public sector. Although no concrete evidence is provided to support this argument, it remains neutral in sentiment.

The fifth argument explores the implementation and enforcement of digital rights in Nigeria. However, no supporting facts or evidence are mentioned, resulting in a neutral sentiment towards this argument.

The sixth and final argument discusses the practicality of implementing data law in Nigeria, specifically relating to data duplication. However, no supporting facts or evidence are provided, leading to a neutral sentiment towards this argument as well.

In conclusion, the analysis presents arguments advocating for an open internet, individual privacy rights, and individual control over data. It also raises questions about the involvement of government and the private sector in addressing data and digital rights challenges. However, the lack of supporting evidence weakens the arguments regarding digital rights in Nigeria.

Afolabi Salisu

During the discussion, the speakers addressed several crucial topics pertaining to database management, regulatory policies, and data privacy in the African context. One notable aspect emphasized was the substantial financial benefits that the private sector can derive from effectively exploring and capitalising on extensive databases. By leveraging the wealth of information stored within these databases, businesses have the opportunity to gain valuable insights and contribute to economic growth.

Another critical area of focus was the implementation and monitoring of frameworks. The speakers highlighted the importance of a regulatory perspective to ensure that frameworks are effectively implemented and monitored to achieve the desired outcomes. It was stressed that having frameworks in place alone is insufficient; efficient systems must also be in place to track and evaluate progress. This promotes the attainment of intended objectives and assists in identifying areas that require improvement or further action.

The discussions on data privacy and data governance emphasised the need for a unified approach across Africa. Afolabi Salisu specifically underscored the importance of a cohesive strategy, emphasising the significance of data privacy and governance at both the individual country and cross-cutting issue levels. The engagement of the African parliamentarians network on Internet governance with counterparts from the US and Europe highlights the importance of collaborative efforts on a global scale.

In addition, Afolabi Salisu expressed the belief that APNIC (Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre) could play a significant role in ensuring data governance and privacy across Africa. This endorsement underscores the potential for collaboration between regions and organisations to address the challenges and concerns surrounding data privacy and governance.

In conclusion, this discussion shed light on the financial opportunities stemming from large databases, the significance of effective framework implementation and monitoring, the necessity of a unified approach to data privacy and governance in Africa, and the potential role of APNIC. This comprehensive analysis offers valuable insights and perspectives for stakeholders and policymakers navigating the complex realm of database management, regulatory policies, and data privacy.

Bernard Ewah

The analysis explores the implications of data governance, commodification, and protection in light of the increasing value of data. It addresses the challenges arising from evolving data ownership, multiple data residences, and owners. The emergence of new data sources and the growing reuse of data by various parties further emphasize the need for robust data governance.

Efficient regulatory instruments are essential to strike a balance between data commodification and data subject protection. The complexities of handling structured and unstructured data add to the regulatory challenges. Regulatory authorities must carefully navigate these complexities to ensure data subjects’ privacy and rights are safeguarded while promoting innovation and market growth. Bernard Ewah supports market-facing regulatory instruments that foster innovation and data protection. Private sector investments in digital infrastructure are also crucial in supporting these regulatory measures.

The analysis demonstrates the positive impact of data in accelerating the achievement of sustainable development goals. Examples include the establishment of a dedicated data protection organization in Nigeria and the passage of a bill protecting data subjects’ privacy. Effective data utilization enables governments and organizations to develop strategies for sustainable development.

Capacity building across various actors is highlighted as a key aspect of the data ecosystem. Equipping practitioners and users with knowledge enables them to navigate the complexities of data governance, commodification, and protection. Engagement with partners and capacity building across different levels of government are critical for successful collaboration and coordination.

The economic value of various data types, such as social media, mobile phone, scanner, financial, automatic identification systems, and geospatial or satellite data, is recognized by governments in Africa, including Nigeria. This recognition positions Africa as a potential data hub, fostering economic growth and increased participation of its people.

Overall, the analysis emphasizes the need to enhance data protection and valuation in response to evolving data ownership and multiple data residences. It emphasizes the importance of regulatory instruments that promote innovation while safeguarding data protection. Furthermore, utilizing data effectively and building capacity among various actors contribute to accelerated sustainable development and Africa’s potential as a data hub. The analysis advocates for comprehensive approaches that balance data governance, commodification, and protection to unlock the full potential of data in today’s interconnected world.

Jimson Olufuye

The analysis reveals several key insights. Firstly, it highlights the significant value of data in economic growth. The use of World Bank open data and NCC data in research for an international organization has positively impacted Nigeria’s GDP. Nigeria’s re-basing of the economy has propelled it to become the number one economy in Africa, underscoring the importance of data in driving economic growth.

The analysis also emphasizes the importance of localizing data centers to stimulate their construction and develop robust data infrastructure. The inclusion of a company providing consultation for building data centers indicates acknowledgment of the benefits of localizing data.

Furthermore, the analysis commends the government for establishing a proactive policy framework for data governance and enacting necessary acts. This approach ensures responsible handling of data and compliance with regulations.

Clear governmental frameworks and guidelines are crucial for companies dealing with cross-border data. Examples such as Jumia, Conga, and eTransat demonstrate the benefits of these frameworks. Addressing issues like conflict resolution and prosecution-related matters between countries is essential for smooth cross-border data transactions.

The analysis suggests African banks should expand into Europe and other parts of Africa to support economic growth and strengthen global connections. Although no specific evidence is provided, this expansion is seen as a strategic move.

The endorsement of the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Data Protection is considered beneficial. This international framework facilitates collaboration and establishes common standards for safeguarding data.

Signing the Country Code Top-Level Domain (CCTLD) agreement would enhance trust. Banks domiciling their country code top-level domain in Nigeria would reinforce Nigeria’s reputation as a trusted data host.

The analysis acknowledges Nigeria’s progress in data governance and commends the efforts of the event organizer and the National Assembly. This recognition indicates positive strides in data governance practices.

Efforts to enable digitalization and effective data monetization through APIs are mentioned, but no evidence is provided. It implies the Minister of Internal Affairs is actively involved in this initiative.

The importance of cyber security in protecting data and systems is highlighted.

Although no specific evidence or arguments are presented, enabling the private sector for compliance, execution, and management is deemed necessary.

The analysis highlights the potential of the African Continental Free Trade Zone to empower the private sector. With a market of over 1.3 billion people, leveraging this potential is crucial.

Finally, the analysis expresses support for signing and ratifying the Malabo Convention, without further details or evidence.

In summary, the analysis highlights the value of data in economic growth, the benefits of localizing data centers, the importance of proactive policy frameworks for data governance, the advantages for companies dealing with cross-border data, the potential expansion of African banks, the endorsement of the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Data Protection, the need to sign CCTLD for trust cultivation, Nigeria’s progress in data governance, the focus on digitalization and data monetization, the importance of cyber security, enabling the private sector for compliance and management, the potential of the African Continental Free Trade Zone, and support for signing and ratifying the Malabo Convention.

Sam George

The data policy framework of the African Union (AU) serves as a guide for considering data governance, data sovereignty, and cross-border data flows within the continent. Different African regions, including ECOWAS, AALA, and SADC, actively participate in addressing these data-related issues across Africa.

However, there are concerns that western pressure may inadvertently lead to poorly implemented data protection legislations. For instance, Egypt has had a data protection law for several years, but the absence of an appropriate authority has hindered its effective enforcement. This highlights the importance of not treating legislation as a mere checkbox exercise, but instead ensuring robust implementation and enforcement mechanisms.

APNIC, the Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre, plays a crucial role in advocating for the allocation of resources from portfolio ministries to data protection agencies and commissions. This support strengthens data protection measures and ensures their effective operation.

Additionally, data protection should be prioritized not only in urban areas but also in rural locations. Ghana, for instance, has a significant gap in data protection standards between capital cities and other areas. This discrepancy underscores the need for comprehensive and inclusive data protection measures that extend beyond urban centers.

In conclusion, the AU’s data policy framework provides guidance for addressing data-related challenges in Africa. While various regions actively engage in this process, caution must be taken to avoid the unintended negative consequences of western pressure on data protection legislation implementation. APNIC’s role in advocating for resources is essential for the functioning of data protection institutions. Finally, it is crucial to prioritize data protection in both urban and rural areas to ensure comprehensive safeguards for individual privacy rights and effective data governance.

Adedeji Stanley Olajide

Data protection laws are vital for ensuring the usability, consistency, and security of data. The House Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity strongly supports implementing strict laws with clear rules and severe penalties for violations. These laws must address the challenges posed by the constant movement of data, particularly financial and health records, and should allow for regular updates and enhancements.

Effective data protection requires more than just lawmaking. It should encompass monitoring and evaluation of data controls to ensure compliance and effectiveness in safeguarding data. Monitoring efforts help identify potential gaps and weaknesses in the data protection framework, enabling timely improvements.

The versatility of data and its dependence on its source are important considerations for policymakers when crafting data protection laws. A comprehensive approach is needed that takes into account the different sources and applications of data.

Additionally, incorporating practices like scrubbing and data staging into the lawmaking process is essential. Scrubbing involves cleansing data by removing personally identifiable or sensitive information, while data staging involves preparing and organizing data for analysis or use. These practices enhance the responsible and secure handling of data.

In conclusion, data protection laws should prioritize usability, consistency, and security. The House Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity advocates for strict laws with clear rules and severe penalties. Regular monitoring and evaluation are necessary to ensure the effectiveness of these laws. Policymakers should also consider the versatility of data and its dependence on its source. Including practices like scrubbing and data staging strengthens the data protection framework. By addressing these aspects, policymakers can create a comprehensive and effective legal framework that safeguards data and promotes responsible use.

Chidi Diugwu

In the analysis, several speakers discussed the importance of data protection and regulation. One key point that was highlighted is the significance of metadata. Metadata refers to structured and consensual information about data. It was mentioned that when using applications, the phone can gather various pieces of metadata such as phone numbers, location, geophysical data, and steps taken. This data can be used for profiling purposes in artificial intelligence.

Cross-border collaborations in data regulation and control were also discussed. It was noted that data travels internationally at the speed of light, raising concerns about the extent to which data travels and how the information is used. For example, it was mentioned that users’ data can travel as far as the United States of America or China. Understanding these aspects is crucial for effective data regulation.

The speakers also emphasised the importance of respecting the rights of data users. It was highlighted that consumers have the right to choose what information to assess, whether or not to share their data, the ability to stop participating, and the freedom to change their mind. Additionally, there was mention of a duty of care on the part of data controllers and processors.

The active regulatory role of the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) in data protection was also discussed. The NCC was described as having various regulations and interventions in place. They use tools such as lawful intercept and child online protection, and have a computer security incident response team that monitors and alerts the telecommunications sector accordingly. This demonstrates the NCC’s commitment to ensuring data protection.

Another important topic raised was digital rights, particularly in relation to access to data and cybersecurity. One speaker, Dr. Chidi, highlighted the need to upskill women in cybersecurity. This reflects the importance of inclusivity and gender equality in the digital world.

Lastly, it was suggested that systems governing digital rights should operate with principles of transparency and explicit privacy policies. This ensures that different sectors, such as human devices and automated systems, adhere to clear guidelines regarding the use of data. Transparency and explicit privacy policies help build trust and protect individuals’ rights.

In conclusion, the analysis provided insightful information on various aspects of data protection and regulation. It emphasized the significance of metadata, cross-border collaborations, respecting data users’ rights, the active regulatory role of the NCC, digital rights, and the importance of transparency and explicit privacy policies. These discussions shed light on the complexities and challenges in navigating the ever-evolving digital landscape.

Mary Uduma

The Nigeria Open Forum session on data governance and trust took place in the afternoon. It was chaired by Senator Afolabi Salisu, who is highly respected as the senior committee chair on ICT and cybersecurity. The participants introduced themselves and shared their background and expertise in the field.

During the session, there were active discussions on the importance of establishing robust frameworks and policies for managing and protecting data, especially with the growing reliance on digital technologies. The attendees offered diverse viewpoints, generating fruitful dialogue on the subject.

The valuable contributions made by the attendees were appreciated, highlighting the significance of collaboration and knowledge sharing to effectively address the challenges of data governance and trust.

Towards the end of the session, it was suggested that a future meeting be held in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, to continue the discussions and further collaborative efforts. This idea was met with enthusiasm, demonstrating the participants’ desire to continue working towards enhancing data governance and trust within Nigeria.

Overall, the Nigeria Open Forum session provided a platform for experts and professionals to exchange ideas, share best practices, and develop strategies for ensuring data security and reliability. The session promoted collaboration and decision-making in the realm of ICT and cybersecurity, ultimately contributing to a more secure and trustworthy data environment in Nigeria.

Mary Uduma:
Hello. Good morning. Good afternoon. Good evening. Depending on where you are connecting. This afternoon, we have the Nigeria Open Forum session. It is on data governance and trust. I will hand this mic over to the chairperson. We have the privilege and honor of having the distinguished senior committee chair on ICT and cyber security, Senator Afolabi Salisu. Over to you, sir. You introduced yourself and maybe you allowed the speakers also to introduce themselves. Thank you very much. Over to you.

Afolabi Salisu:
Thank you so much, Madame. I would like to join you as well to welcome everybody, both physically and online. Today is Nigerian Open Forum on IGF Kyoto 2023. As I’ve been introduced, my name is Senator Afolabi Salisu. I’m the chairman of the Nigerian Senate Committee on ICT and cyber security. I’m not just chairing this committee. I’m also an IT practitioner for almost close to four decades. I’m here both as a legislator and also as a practitioner. I’m proud to be Nigerian, too. Today, we’ll be looking at the issue of data governance and trust. We have a panel that will do justice to this topic. We have an array of people from both private sector, from the regulatory organization, as well as also from the legislator. Let me just ask the lead discussants and the panelists to just introduce themselves briefly, and then we’ll start the ball rolling. I’m going to start from Dr. Bernard Ewah, please.

Bernard Ewah:
Thank you, distinguished senator, and a very great welcome to everybody who has joined us today. My name is Bernard Ewah. I’m the acting director of e-government development and regulation at the National Information Technology Development Agency.

Chidi Diugwu:
All right. Thank you, the moderator, and good afternoon or good morning to everyone watching. My name is Dr. Chidi Diugwu. I’m from the Nigerian Communications Commission. Thank you.

Adedeji Stanley Olajide:
Good afternoon, everybody. My name is Honorable Adedeji Stanley Olajide, also a rep member for the Nigerian National Assembly, the chairman of the House Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity.

Jimson Olufuye:
Good afternoon. Thank you. And that is saying greetings to everyone listening in Japanese, and welcome. My name is Jimson Olufuye. I have the privilege of being the chair of the Advisory Council of the Africa ICT Alliance, which is made up of about 40 countries, private sector practitioner in the IT industry. I’m also the principal consultant at Contemporary Consulting, IT firm based in Abuja, Nigeria. Welcome, everybody.

Afolabi Salisu:
Thank you. I’m talking about being contemporary. We need to have a balanced mix. Therefore, I have online Nnenna Nwakanma, Satisfiable Gender, as well as online participation. We cannot be talking about the Internet without having a panelist on the Internet. So, Nnenna, please introduce yourself.

Nnenna Nwakanma:
Hello, everyone. I hope you can hear and see me. Bonjour from Abidjan. My name is Nnenna. I come from the Internet. Happy to be here.

Afolabi Salisu:
Thank you so much. Without much ado, we’re going to have the late presenter, Dr. Bernadette, who is going to do justice for some 10 minutes. And thereafter, we’re going to have our panelists who will make their interventions in very few minutes so that we can have some time for the audience. So, at this point in time, I must also recognize that part of the crew for this program, we have Kunle Olundari, who is the online moderator. He’s also somewhere here. He’s the acting president, Internet Society, Nigeria chapter. So, without much ado, Dr. Bernard Ewah, you have 10 minutes to lead us through the issue of data governance and trust. How far so far in Nigeria? Your time starts counting now.

Bernard Ewah:
Thank you very much. I hope I can live with the 10 minutes. In the last couple of days, a lot has been spoken about data governance and trust. For us now, we’re going to try to mirror that in the perspective of Nigeria, the journey we’ve taken and where we hope to navigate in the next few years. In the discussion on data governance and trust in Nigeria, we are approaching it from two dimensions. Of course, the commoditization of data has given the need for countries to derive value from data, at the same time protecting data subjects. However, in the last few years, this issue has continued to be even more complex, because we are seeing discoveries of new data sources. We are also seeing data increasingly being owned, residing in multiple residences, having multiple owners, and also the subjects dwelling across multiple legal jurisdictions. For regulators, we have to be aware of this changing dynamics. More importantly, the fact that data has become a highly sought-after commodity means that there are more and more capabilities for its reuse by parties. These are some of the challenges that regulatory authorities are dealing with. As I said at the beginning, the critical focus here is how to create that balance between extraction of value and protection of data subjects. Along the line of the challenges which I mentioned earlier on, of course, is the need for a broad set of data governance structures that recognize the increasing dynamics of data itself. A few years ago, or a decade or so ago, it was common for us to focus on a particular non-organized structured set of data, but that is not the case today. We are also seeing data that is increasingly being integrated, so a mix of structured and unstructured data, while we continue to discover new data sources. That calls for a lot of new needs for infrastructure, storage. There’s also the challenge of filtering good data from bad data. In the last few years, we’ve also seen the occurrence of fake news and how to deal with that. All of these are challenges for regulatory organizations. However, in the midst of this, there are lots of opportunities for all stakeholders. As I said earlier on, the key is balancing or having a healthy balance between the commodification of data and protection. That’s essentially the fine line that regulatory authorities in Nigeria have been treading, so that the regulations are not too stifling developments. At the same time, it gives ample opportunities for stakeholders, particularly the private sector and other interest groups, to use data to grow their economy. What we’ve seen in terms of data governance is a move towards regulatory instruments that are market-facing. Instruments that begin to recognize that, yes, innovation has to be on both sides. On the price side of regulation, just as we expect these regulations to also instigate innovation in the market. Create new products or provide opportunities for private sector-led investments or create new provisions for new services. Importantly, in the mix of all of these is for regulations to create avenues for private sector to invest in new digital infrastructures. Data itself is one of those potent infrastructures. That is the focus of the governance processes that regulatory organizations are focusing on. Lastly, the idea is to ensure that data can be used effectively to accelerate attainments of sustainable development goals. In Nigeria, we have taken very concrete and laudable steps, beginning with the creation of a dedicated organization for data protection. And the passage of a bill that promotes the protection of data subjects and their privacy and provides clear instruments for compliance and punishments of offenders. We’ve also passed the Code of Practice for Interactive Computer Services and Platforms. Just before this session started, we had an informal interaction with colleagues here from Kenya who spoke very favorably about Nigeria’s Code of Practice. That’s an example of how governance instruments can be used to enhance trust in society and allow participants and other stakeholders to play by the rules of the game. As I mentioned at the beginning, governance has to be driven in such a way that there are clear outcomes that lead to positive changes in the economy. That begins with building a strong knowledge base for both practitioners as well as stakeholders. as users of data, creating necessary and forward-looking policies that catalyze investments and development in the use of data as a resource for development, providing digital platforms or public infrastructure such as platforms that allow for the reuse of data to extend the ideas of open governments, open data, some of these areas that data governance approach is seeking to achieve. Of course, I talked about infrastructure and the needs to allow governance to enhance innovation, allow the innovation ecosystem to tap on the potentials created by data to create the new products and services that strengthen the economy. Lastly, provide supporting trade from innovations. So in conclusion, I hope I’m within the 10 minutes, Mike. In conclusion, key to enhancing the use of data is the need for us to strengthen the capacity of various actors in the system, continue to create awareness among users, promote engagement across levels of governments, across other user communities who stand to benefit from data. An example is statistical organizations like the National Bureau of Statistics in Nigeria, the Population Commission. So the availability of new data sources and the potentials that they come with to strengthen existing practices has to be followed up with effective engagements with those partners and building capacity across layers of governments from national to subnational. Thank you very much.

Afolabi Salisu:
Thank you so much, Dr. Ewah. You are free to clap, by the way. Thank you so much, Dr. Ewah. And I think the important thing you have said to us is that Nigeria has progressed in terms of data governance and trust. We used to have a data bureau. Now we have an act that has established a National Data Protection Commission, including the Code of Conduct, meaning that we now have a legal framework. But one thing is to have a legal framework. And then I’m coming to you now. One thing is to have a legal framework. From the civil society perspective, what more do you think we need to do to enhance transparency in terms of data acquisition, particularly by citizens, the right of consent? Do you think what we have is sufficient now? Or what are those new elements that you think we need to introduce to ensure that the data collection, data acquisition from the civil society perspective is respected? Inena, your two minutes start from now. Inena, bonjour. Thank you. Inena? Hello. OK. Yes. Did you get my question? No. Can you repeat? It’s raining here. And the on sound is low. But please go ahead. OK. Dr. Ewa has spoken extensively about some of the framework that have been put in place by the Nigerian government, including the establishment of Nigerian Data Protection Commission and a number of some of these issues. But from the city’s perspective, from the civil society perspective, wanting to have this framework, what more do you think we need to do to enhance transparency, accountability, in data acquisition, including the right of citizen to decline or consent to the acquisition of their data?

Nnenna Nwakanma:
OK. So this is a Nigerian forum. And were it not that this was an international forum, I would have switched to pidgin English. But I think I will speak proper English for accountability purposes. So the first thing is, I love the presentation because it took the angle of regulation that encourages innovation. Because in most cases, when we talk about regulation, we are talking about imposing the law. We are talking about stifling. We are talking about fining people and all of that, basically scaring them away. What our parents do at home. Don’t do this. Don’t do this. Don’t do that. But then what should we be doing? No one tells us. But I love this because we’re looking at regulation for innovation. That’s my first submission. My second submission is that, as Nigerians, we think that we are big, we are populous, and all of that. But I don’t think, in the case of data governance, that really matters a lot. It is in the creating, the reuse, the reusing of data that value is added, not in the population of a country, OK? So I really want to put that across. It’s not enough to say we are over 200-whatever million. That doesn’t make any economic sense. What makes economic sense is when the dollars come in, especially now that dollars are in Nigeria. So one is regulation for innovation, value in the data itself for poverty reduction, for development, and for wealth creation. That is what is of importance to me. Now, governance of data cannot happen in a silo. I see a lot of brothers and sisters here. We are Nigerians, and we know how governance is in Nigeria. I don’t think that the data governance in Nigeria will far exceed the general governance in Nigeria. And I’m saying this because we have senators. We have governors. We have people in authority in this room. So my feeling is that the data governance in Nigeria will not supersede the general governance that we have in terms of other things, the social, political situation in Nigeria. Now, flows follow flows. And I really want to put some energy on this. As citizens, which data do we have access to? Which data are we creating? Which data is being valued? I mean, I’m from Aba. I support Enimba. But then much of the data I will create will be on the European Champions League or the English League, because that is where much of the talk is going. So earlier in the week, I was talking about data as in travel. There are hubs. There are important things. And the question is, are we creating the data? Are we availing the data that will be used, reused, to make for value purposes? I know I only have two minutes. Let me end with data dialogues. We talked about trust. Having that continued discussion, I’m happy that at least Nigeria has a framework. Nigeria has an agency. We know the who, the what, the how, and the why. Congratulations to Nigeria. Now, the continued dialogue among partners, citizens, private sector is what will create that trust. We are not there yet, but we are in the right direction. And I’m happy that we’re having this conversation, though it took Kyoto to bring us together. But I hope that after this, we can continue conversation at home so that we can operationalize what we have and make it better. And once again, data for us, for me as a citizen, is for me to feel safe, but it’s also for me to make money and be a better Nigerian. I’ll stop so far.

Afolabi Salisu:
Thank you so much, Nnenna. You can give Nnenna a virtual clap if you like. One thing she said I came very strongly through for me was, how do we derive value from data? And when it comes to economic engagement, the private sector is best suited to pursue it. Dr. James Olufoye, you have been in this space for quite some time, and you went into private sector. We have a population of around 20 million people. Seventy percent of them are youth. They generate data now. What are the opportunities? How will the private sector tap into these opportunities to turn this data into Naira and Kobo, into yen and into dollars?

Jimson Olufuye:
Very outstanding question, because money is important. Creation of wealth, boosting income, and GDP is very, very key. I’ll be speaking, of course, from the private sector perspective, and I would like to do a little introduction. I got to how this idea came about for many that are listening to us that may not know much about the idea itself. IGF is one of the two tracks of activities from the Tunis agenda of the World Summit of Information Society in 2005. Internet Governance Forum is a track. Enhanced cooperation is another track. And it was really clearly stated that all stakeholders must be involved in this. All stakeholders, the government, the private sector, the civil society, the academic, and the technical community must all be involved. So as private sector, we have Africa for Africa, basically. And as I mentioned, Africa City Alliance, the vision is to fulfill the promise of the digital age for everybody in Africa through advocacy. And we’ve been relating with many governments like Egypt, of course, Nigeria, NCC, NIDA, very proactive in that regard. So from the private sector perspective, there’s a lot of value to be derived in data. And when you talk about data, of course, talking about internet, so the internet precision is quite high. And we commend the government for putting proactive policy framework in place. And of course, the acts, necessary acts for data governance as Dr. Ewa mentioned. So with this framework in place, we could really achieve a lot. Not too long ago, I did a research for an international organization. And that used the data available, open data, World Bank open data. So we also use data from NCC available on their website. Nigeria belong to the Open Government Partnership. So data need to be released, be made available. Without data, you’ll get more wealth. I saw something on social media. Somebody said, in 2023, Nigeria has become poorer, you know, than it was in 1980. And so we are at the same level. I look at the data, I said, it’s not true. Because in 1980, our GDP per capita was just $800. And 2023, our GDP per capita is times three of that, about $2,500. And Nigeria is number one economy in Nigeria, in Africa. And that is because we rebased the economy. We can see the impact of data, the impact of the internet in boosting the GDP. And we have not gotten to this as anything. We’ve not gotten to our optimal position. Because our optimal position should be in the range of $1.5 trillion. So data has a lot of value to add. And again, commend the government with the structure, you know, that is in place. Now, there is a measure or an item of that act. And that talks to localization of data. That policy encourages the building of more data centers. For my company, we do that. We do consultation for, if you want to build data center, we do that. Cyber security, we do that, you know, as well. Then look at. On local.

Afolabi Salisu:
I’ll charge you for adverts.

Jimson Olufuye:
Okay. Well, those are the benefits. You said I should bring the value. So I’m talking about the value. Now, we know we have companies like Jumia, like Conga, you know, eTransat. These are companies that deal with cross-border data. And cross-border data, it’s important we look at it. The government need to look at that. And then put in framework to ensure that if there are issues with data, even in, say, in Ghana, in Kenya, we can resolve those issues. Especially for, with regard to prosecution. Okay. Law enforcement. Okay. And then we have banks all over Africa. We need to encourage them to move to Europe, to Africa. So we need to, therefore, be involved in endorsing, for example, the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Data Protection. So with that, we have a framework to relate it to other countries. So these are international values that we could also create. And, of course, we have our CCTLD. Okay. With NERA being our registry. So that’s, CCTLD needs to be signed. Because once it’s signed, there’ll be more trust. Because we are talking about data governance and trust. There’ll be more trust. So DNSSEC needs to be signed. We are looking forward to that. And with that, we’ll see many of our banks that will be domiciling their CCTLD. The country called top-level domain. They’ll be domiciling it in Nigeria. So those are measures that will create. So we are making progress. No doubt about that. Okay. And it needs to be sustained. And that’s why I appreciate the organizer of this event, this forum at the international level, to project what the progress Nigeria has been making. And also to see the other things we need to do. Also to thank the National Assembly for being proactive. So I appreciate you, the Senate Committee on ICT announced, to being here. We’ll have you at least make up this category of this level here. Because I’ve been involved in IGF for a long while as a private sector entity. And indeed, truly this is the first time. So it’s a time to look forward to more breakthrough with regard to data governance and trust in Nigeria. Thank you very much.

Afolabi Salisu:
Thank you so much. Private sector can smell money. I saw that there’s money to be made. And of course, particularly because we have large database now that we need to begin to explore and exploit it for financial benefit and also grow the economy. Dr. Chidi, I’m going to come to you now from NCC. Right, we have Data Protection Commission in place. We have a number of framework. And somebody, some people will say, our problem is not about initiatives. It’s about finishatives. Finishing what we initiate. Now that we have all of this framework in place, what do we need to do to ensure, or rather, from the regulatory perspective, what we organization and other organization in this space do to ensure that the implementation, monitoring of all of this framework produce the desired outcome so that we can begin to have finishatives?

Chidi Diugwu:
Right, so here, let me move this for you so that I can tell you. Okay, I hope. My two minutes hasn’t started. Thank you very much, Distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I was actually going to start on a different note, but I was a little bit interested in what Ndena was talking about. And so, as a regulator, I think it’s important that I address it. But before then, I thank the lead presenter for his very beautiful job. There’s a known correlation between population size and market size. So, telecommunication success rate is defined by the size of the market. In Nigeria, as far back as six months ago, we had over 226 million subscribers. And then, talking about data, it’s basically what you get off the internet. And then, we have about 156 million Nigerians using the internet. Out of these, about 92 million have broadband connectivity. So, in telecommunications, the compounded annual growth rate is, you know, ranging anything between 12 to 14% every year. And then, we’re also compacting other industries like the manufacturing and then the financial services, growing, you know, the fintech market. You know, every day, you can stay at home now and then generate enough revenue. And there are many data sources. But that’s not the subject of today. I think the subject is more or less to talk about data. And then, what we should be aiming our big guns at. What is data? There must be clarity. Data in itself can mean nothing. But I think the question would have been metadata. You know, metadata is a structured, you know, information. If you like, consensual information about data. And for us as regulators, that’s what we’re interested in. Now, let me define metadata further. Using a lot of applications. If you are using a mobile phone device, what are you doing? Your phone is able to mainstream your phone number, your location, your geophysical, whatever it is, the steps you take, and so on and so forth. And then, if you have many applications, even this can go as far as talking about your heartbeat and so on and so forth. And then, if you are using the email, the email is able to profile how you stay on the email, how you respond to email, whom you are responding to, the time it took you to respond, the messages that you read and those that you do not read. These are metadata. And somebody somewhere is profiling this thing in the name of artificial intelligence. And these are major source of revenues. So, if we begin to talk about people that are browsing, okay, fine. You are browsing about going to London, to wherever it is. But the moment you click on the internet, your information is being, you know, generated. And then, somehow, on that sort of compelling means, you could be told that if you do not click yes, you cannot have access to further information. So, metadata is, you know, very disruptive. And then, we must address it as regulators. Now, the NDPR, you know, which essentially is a Nigerian response to how data is being used, is very effective and very commendable. However, we need to know that the battlefield is not, you know, at the national level only. Metadata travels with the speed of light. And then, you can never talk, you can know the source because it comes from the data subject. And that could be, as far as you know, data transit and then the destination. So, what, where, to what extent and to what speed do our data travel? These are very big questions that we answer as regulators. Now, I’ll give you an instance. The NDPR is somehow localized, talking about how you behave in the marketplace in Nigeria to make Nigeria a corporate, you know, responsible trader. That is fine. But what do you say to users whose data has traveled as far as to the United States of America or to China, all in the name of cookies and stuff like that? So, these are the source of revenues that never get to be relocated to Nigeria. And then, we must have to begin to talk about cross-border collaborations to understand to what extent data travel and to what extent our information is going to be used to shape the future of mankind. We are talking about algorithms, you know, displaying artificial intelligence, studying how human beings behave. They are very fine and good. But at the very convenient level, all we say is that the consumer has the right to choose what information they want to assess. The consumer has got the right to know whether to give out their data or not to give out their data. The consumer has got the right to say, I do not want to participate any longer. The consumer has the right to change their mind. But there is a duty of care on the part of both data controllers and data processors. And unfortunately, in most cases, data controllers and data processors are outside of our jurisdictions. So, in a nutshell, as a regulator, what we do is that we have got a number of regulations, a number of interventions that we use from time to time to ensure that, you know, like lawful intercept, you know, and then child online protection and then other regulatory issues available at our website. You can go there and see. We have a robust set regime. That is the computer security incident response team that mainstreams, you know, data as they develop and then allot the constituency of telecommunications accordingly. Thank you very much.

Afolabi Salisu:
You better clap for the regulator because non-clapping can be a violation of regulation. Thank you, Dr. Chidi, for that very beautiful submission. I’m going to my brother and colleague in the House of Representatives, the Chairman of the House Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity. And your question is very simple. You made the laws. National Assembly makes all the laws, including the one that governs the data protection. What roles are for National Assembly beyond making the laws to ensure that these laws are obeyed, not just by individuals, but by corporate players in the space? So, I have online now Honorable Stanley Adedeji to give us legislative intervention.

Adedeji Stanley Olajide:
Thank you, Chairman. Thank you, everybody. I am Honorable Adedeji Stanley Olachide. Well, let’s just put this in perspective because to enact laws, there are a few things that we must understand. What are the value? I mean, this is data is our jewel. That’s the new oil. In order for us to do what we do best, we have to promote laws that basically will make data usable. Data will also promote the integrity of the data. Also, in order for data to be useful, it must be consistent and secured. Because if you have data in the hands, for example, when let’s talk about the security aspect of data, where our laws must protect, you also want to make sure that the chain of custody of data is protected in our laws. You don’t want data in the hands of the wrong person. You only give people rights to data that they need, not indefinite access to the data. Then also, you have to make sure that segregation of duty is built into your data structure as well with our laws. And there will be clear monitoring and evaluation of all these controls because you build controls to help you achieve these things. And the laws must be very clear on how all these things are going to be achieved. And they will be very strict. The law is also going to provide very clear, strict rules. You break these rules, there will be sanctions, stiff sanctions for breaking these rules. So all in all, we have to legislate, understand, because data is a moving target. It’s not a static thing. When you’re dealing with historical data, it’s different. Historical data is static. But when you’re dealing with financial data or health records or medical records, those are more like they’re on the move. So you always have to constantly revamp your laws to deal with the challenges of now. So if for some reason there are new rules that says you only give your DNA structure, a certain part of it to the users or to the government, you only restrict that. So in clear language, I don’t want to go into too much technicalities. In clear language, we have to protect our data to make them usable, flexible, secured, and make sure that this is the jewel that we are going to use to. For example, we just went through COVID-19. The amount of data that medical, I mean, researchers are going to need from this COVID-19 data, have we protected it? So we are going to have to make sure that we have laws in place to protect that data so that we can uncover the values attached to them. So that’s what we are going to be doing to make sure that our laws can guide those principles. Thank you.

Afolabi Salisu:
Thank you. And I’d like to thank my brother for that intervention. Okay. And when Dr. Chidi was talking the other time, you mentioned Cross-Border Cooperation. And I’m also delighted to say that we have in this audience today the African Parliamentary Network on Internet Governance, APNIC, led by our Secretary General, Honorable Sam George, who is from Ghana technically, but he’s actually Nigerian. He told me off camera that he loves Nigeria and you’ll love more that he loves Ghana. So I’d like to welcome the members of APNIC who are here from different countries, from Ghana, from Gambia. Thank you so much for coming. I also would like to congratulate the House, the Deputy Chief Whip of the Nigerian House of Representatives, Honorable Adewumi Uriyomi Onanuga. I mean, thank you, Deputy Chief, for coming here. So I’m going to yield ground. We have some 90 minutes left. I just think we need to take interventions from the audience, both online and physically here. But we’re going to be talking about data without hearing the voice of the youth. I’m going to turn my moderator into an interventionist now. Kunle Olorundare, you’re the acting president of the Internet Society. Oh, Kole is online. Okay. Kole, if you’re online. Yes, I’m here. You’re here?

Kunle Olorundare:
Yes, I’m here.

Afolabi Salisu:
Okay, great. Yes. Now, the bulk of data that has been generated is actually largely from the youth. I mean, so we can’t be talking about data without hearing the voice of the youth. So for a moment, you are going to transform from being online moderator to a panelist, and that’s the power of the chairman. Okay, so can I have your perspective, the perspective of the youth, perspective of the Nigerian Internet Society on this issue of data governance and privacy in Nigeria?

Kunle Olorundare:
All right. Thank you very much, Mr. Moderator. I am very much excited to be on this call, so to say. First of all, let me appreciate our honorables who has made it a point of duty to be on this call, even out of their business schedule. And it’s a good thing that we are having this kind of discussion, even at an international forum, and that shows that we have a lot to do together in terms of multistakeholderism, and that is the right way to go. I will say that, yes, back to your question. So in Internet Society, we believe that the Internet, as it were, should be open. And when I talk about the Internet, you know I’m talking about the network of networks, which, of course, is the place where all this data, most of this data are being generated. So we believe that Internet should be open. And, of course, we believe in what is known as digital rights, digital rights in the sense that we believe that everybody has right to privacy. And, of course, whatever data that I’m generating should be my data and nobody should, you know, drop on me when I’m using the Internet or when I’m using my phone. That is what we believe in. As a matter of fact, there is something we preach every year, and I think this is the month it is known as encryption. Encryption has to do with, okay, you know, end-to-end, you know, covering of your messages, of your data in the way that nobody can access your data. Nobody can listen to your data. A very good example is when I’m using WhatsApp, I want to ensure that what I’m transmitting to another person is only being received by that person and no other person, and nobody should intercept it. That is one of the things we believe in the Internet Society. And I’m so excited that we are discussing this. And for us, we also believe in what is known as rights, you know, to be forgotten. If I say that, okay, fine, I have done this online, and, of course, I want it to be erased, and it should be erased. Nobody should go back to it and try to trace it. Inasmuch as I’ve said that, okay, this has been forgotten, and I think it should be forgotten. So, these are some of the values. That’s one of the things that we believe in Internet Society, and we believe that the Internet should be secured. And when it is secured, that means nobody, I mean, nobody can, you know, have access to my data. The issue of privacy is personal, and we believe that we should take it as that, and nobody should have access to my data once it is my data. So, that is what we believe in Internet Society. We believe in encryption. We believe in privacy. We believe that, you know, communications should be encrypted end-to-end. Thank you, Mr. Moderator.

Afolabi Salisu:
Thank you so much, Kunle, for that very beautiful. I can assure you that your conversation with us online, we encrypted it, so, and I hope you understand that my own, to you as well, is also encrypted, okay? So, don’t just give it up.

Kunle Olorundare:
Absolutely. Absolutely.

Afolabi Salisu:
Honorable Sam George, in the last few days, the African parliamentarians network Internet governance. We have engaged a number of our counterparts from other continents. Earlier today, we met with some delegation from U.S. Yesterday, it was with European parliamentarians, and we discussed a number of cross-cutting issues, particularly because as Africa, we need to approach this issue of data privacy, data governance with one voice. Could you like to share your perspective, what APNIC can do as an organization to ensure data governance and privacy, not just in individual country, but across Africa, given the fact that some of our tech start-ups have. So, I’m going to turn it over to Abhijit, who is going to talk about the role of APNIC in the development of operations across African countries.Honorable Sam George, please?

Sam George:
Thank you very much, and a very good afternoon to everyone. APNIC, as you rightly stated, is African parliamentary network on Internet governance. It’s about a year and a half old. I’m going to talk about the role of APNIC in the development of operations across African countries. So, I’m going to start with a little bit of background. I was in Kenya last year, and then Abuja about three weeks ago, and now we’re in Kyoto. Basically, when we’re discussing the subject of data governance, data sovereignty, cross-border data flows, we need to look at it within the context of the AU data policy framework. So, we have to look at it in the context of the AUDPF, which is the AUDPF Framework for the African Continent, and if we use the AUDPF, then we now have to break it down to the regional levels and see what ECOWAS is doing through West Africa is doing through ECOWAS, what AALA is doing, what SADC is doing, and then we break it down to the individual countries. Now, we need to be careful not to be too aggressive with the EU, because there’s a lot of pressure from the European Union, from America, from other Western powers for our governments to tick checkboxes, and so you have data protection legislation that’s just been passed, but not been implemented, because there’s a difference between passing the legislation, and then there’s a whole different ball game implementing it. We have different levels of adaptation. We have different levels of adaptation, and we need to be careful about that, and we need to be careful about that. We passed our data protection law in 2000, I think 2012, yes, in 2012. We passed our data law in 2012, so we’ve had a data protection commission running for over ten years. However, if you ask me if I’m comfortable with the implementation of data protection, I think that a lot of people are not comfortable with the implementation of data protection. So, we’ve had a lot of people who have created the authority this year. Egypt has had a data protection commission authority for about four, five years, or they’ve had a law for about four, five years, but no authority has been set up. So, you realize that you can just do the checkboxes, and when you attend this international conference, they say that we have legislation, but how is that legislation impacting the data protection, and how is it impacting the data protection authorities? So, we need to be careful about that. Now, for us as parliamentarians, one of the key things we need to begin to look at, and that is members of APNIC, is to ensure that portfolio ministries make available resources to data protection agencies and commissions and authorities, because it’s extremely important, and that’s, I’m going to use the case study of Ghana, because we’ve done this for a bit longer than Nigeria has, but we’ve done this for a bit longer than Africa has, and therefore, we need to ensure that the data protection commission, the data protection commission, is able to get its resources from government. And so, what you then see is when data protection commissions or commissioners begin to impose or enforce their act on government agencies, the funding for those agencies get, for data protection gets reduced, because you’re beginning to create a problem for government. So, the government is going to have to make sure that the funds are being appropriated, that the funds are being properly accredited. All of this creates issues for government, and they create governance issues. So, the only way government is going to handle this is either cut down your appropriation, or they bring the same level of appropriation, but there’s one thing being having your funds appropriated, there’s another thing having your funds disbursed. So, you will see a huge appropriation for data protection, and you will see a huge appropriation for data protection. So, the government is going to have to make sure that the resources of their appropriation was disbursed to them. And so, you realize that in Ghana, for example, data protection is top-notch in our capital cities, but once you step outside of the capital cities, what is the level of data protection? Outside of those capital cities, you see. So, for us as APNIC, we think that members have to make sure that they have access to the data, and that they have access to the data. So, we have to make sure that we have access to the data. It’s now become a fundamental right like the rights of movement and the rights of free speech. And we must enforce this digital right by putting our money where our mouth is. Thank you.

Afolabi Salisu:
» Thank you so much. With this intervention, the context about who has better data rights is not settled. So, we have to make sure that we have a better data rights, and we have to make sure that we have a better data privacy. » Distinguished panelists, we have had a very wonderful time. I have just five minutes left, and I’m constrained. Online question? Okay. Can we have you very briefly?

Kunle Olorundare:
» All right. Thank you very much, Mr. Moderator. I have a couple of questions that I would like to ask, and the first one was asked by Mr. Musa Megiri. He asked, how can government or international community or private sector – sorry, I’m reading verbatim. I think we will pick out the context, but let me read verbatim. It is about market, and it is about governance, and I think that we can help that public sector to be part of contribute activity to the strategy challenges and solutions at both the local and national level. So, I think the question has to do with – » Absolutely. » I think the question has to do with the question of digital rights. Mr. Benjamin Ebi-Ikiba, he asked, why are the digital rights of Nigerians not protected, and who carries out these protections, so I think he wants to know about the implementation and enforcement of digital rights in Nigeria. Then she made a comment, she said, cascading high-level policy statement to the level of citizens’ access, and she said, I think the question has to do with the practicality of these measures. So, she’s trying to comment on how we are implementing the data, you know, act in Nigeria. So, these are the comments we have so far, so good online, and I believe that – oh, okay. So, there is one other comment here from Timi Ambali. He commented, he says, what is government doing – sorry, this is a question, not a comment – what is government doing to ensure that the data is not being used for the purpose of duplication, duplication, duplication, duplication, duplication, it has been pending for a long time. I think it’s a very good question, and I’m sure that all the participants will be interested in knowing the answer to this question. Thank you, Mr. Moderator. Over to you.

Afolabi Salisu:
≫ Thank you so much. I have five minutes left, and because we’re talking about data protection, I’m going to ask Dr. Ewa to answer the question, and then I’ll go back to this side, and then the honorable here will wrap it up. Your 60 seconds start from now.

Bernard Ewah:
≫ Great. So, a lot has been said, but to summarize most of the comments that have been made, everybody’s talking about how do we enhance data protection. You know, if there’s no value to your data, if you cannot protect your data, if you cannot protect your data, if you don’t protect your data, if you don’t protect your own data, you will not see the need to protect it. And so that speaks to how do we ensure that data subjects recognize the value to that data. So, and then the key question is what kind of data are we talking about, what kind of data can people derive value from? Governments across Africa, including Nigeria, I’m just going to give you a couple of examples. So, the first one is social media data. Social media data can be very useful. It can, if properly harnessed, can be a platform. The next, number two is mobile phone data. We have very huge people using mobile phones and so on. That data has very immense economic value. Number three is scanner data. Scanner data is very important. Scanner data is very important. Scanner data is very important. Number four is financial data or transaction data. We all swipe credit cards and debit cards and so on. Equally very valuable for economic planners and so on. Number four is automatic identification systems. This is data that is generated from sensors, unmanned systems, area vehicles. This is data that is generated from sensors, unmanned systems, area vehicles. The last one is geospatial or satellite data. So, these new data sources can determine how we navigate towards becoming a data hub, Africa being a data hub, and using that to grow the participation of our U.S. people.

Afolabi Salisu:
Thank you so much for letting us into these five sources. Dr. Chidi, your 60 seconds starts now.

Chidi Diugwu:
Thank you. My name is Dr. Chidi. I’m a senior researcher in the digital network and society department development. I help in upskilling women in terms of cybersecurity. In terms of your digital rights, let me just enumerate them very quickly. Right to access data, right to ratify of error, right to decision, delete your message. Right to automate your questions. Right to get fahrenheit. There are many sectors like human devices, automated systems, but these systems a governed by principles, transparency, explicit privacy policy stating what the data should be used for and no impose and budgets. So, I’m going to leave it to Dr. James Olufoye to talk about this. I’m going to talk about the practice regulation of NCC 2007, the registration of telephone subscribers data from NCC, the lawful intercept from NCC, the guidelines on management of personal data, and a host of others.

Mary Uduma:
Thank you very much. I hope we’ll be able to meet you in Abuja.

Jimson Olufuye:
Thank you very much for inviting me to be a part of this. Thank you very much for inviting me to be a part of this. All this means that we’re working on digitalization. That means we need to enable API for effective data monetization. We know the minister of internal affairs is doing something about this. Cyber security is very important. We need to enable the private sector to enable the private sector to enable the private sector to enable compliance, execution, and management. And then, as we do all this, we should have the African continental free trade zone in mind because we need to enable private sector to unleash their potential in that big African market of more than 1.3 billion people, and finally, sign and ratify the Malabo Convention, talking to our senator.

Afolabi Salisu:
I’m sorry, I’m running out of time. It’s almost 1. 5 minutes, so you have 30 seconds.

Mary Uduma:
First of all, I want to thank everybody for their contribution.

Adedeji Stanley Olajide:
You can see that data have a lot of versatility, depending on where the source of the data is. So scrubbing, data staging is also going to be part of our lawmaking, and we’re hoping that we’re going to make a lot of progress on that,

Afolabi Salisu:
and I want to thank all of you for your contributions. I want to thank all the panelists, and I must also acknowledge our team from Nigeria, including our colleagues from the Nigerian communication commission, and I must recognize Madame Internet herself, Mrs. Mary Udoma, for the wonderful job you have done together. Until we meet again next time, keep the flag flying. This is Nigeria. Have a wonderful evening. Thank you. One minute, please. All right. I’m done with the first part. I’m on the second one now. All right, thank you very much. Have a good day. Bye for now. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.