WS #55 Future of Governance in Africa

Summary

This workshop focused on the future of governance in Africa, exploring the intersection of technology and governance. Participants discussed how digital transformation is reshaping governance across the continent, highlighting both opportunities and challenges. Key themes included the need for infrastructure development, capacity building, and inclusive policies to bridge the digital divide.

Speakers emphasized the importance of leveraging technology to enhance democratic processes, improve economic governance, and manage resources more effectively. However, they also noted concerns about cybersecurity, misinformation, and the potential for technology to exacerbate existing inequalities. The role of social media platforms in elections and political discourse was a significant topic, with calls for responsible use and effective regulation.

The discussion highlighted the need for a multi-stakeholder approach to digital governance, involving governments, private sector companies, civil society, and international organizations. Participants stressed the importance of developing context-specific solutions while also engaging in global governance initiatives to address the transboundary nature of digital technologies.

Several speakers emphasized the potential of e-governance and digital public services to improve efficiency, transparency, and accountability in government operations. The importance of data sovereignty and building local capacity in emerging technologies like artificial intelligence was also underscored.

Overall, the workshop concluded that while digital transformation presents significant opportunities for improving governance in Africa, it requires careful management, appropriate legal frameworks, and sustained investment in both infrastructure and human capital to ensure its benefits are equitably distributed across the continent.

Keypoints

Major discussion points:

– The impact of digital technologies and social media on governance, elections, and democratic engagement in Africa

– The need for regulatory frameworks and multi-stakeholder approaches to govern digital spaces and emerging technologies like AI

– Strategies for African governments to leverage digital transformation for economic governance and resource management

– Challenges around digital infrastructure, skills, and inclusion that need to be addressed for Africa to fully benefit from digital transformation

Overall purpose:

The purpose of this discussion was to explore the intersection of governance and technology in Africa, examining both the opportunities and challenges presented by digital transformation for improving governance, economic development, and resource management across the continent.

Overall tone:

The tone was largely optimistic about the potential for digital technologies to enhance governance and development in Africa, while also being realistic about the challenges that need to be overcome. Speakers emphasized the need for African-led solutions and frameworks. The tone remained consistent throughout, balancing enthusiasm for technological possibilities with pragmatism about implementation hurdles.

Speakers

– Moderator: Workshop moderator

– Salah Siddig Hammad: Head of African Governance Architecture Secretariat at the African Union

– Nasir Aminu: Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union

– Christina Duarte, Undersecretary General and Special Advisor on Africa

– Selma Bakhta Mansouri, Representative of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Algeria and chairperson of the APR Committee of focal points

– Marie-Antoinette Rose Quatre, Chief Executive Officer of the African Peer Review Mechanism

– Vasu Gounden, Civil Society, African group, Republic of South Africa

– Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Nigeria

– Jimena Sofía Viveros Álvarez, Managing Director and CEO of Equilibrium AI

– Mercy Ndegwa, Director of Public Policy, East and Horn of Africa for Meta

– Nomalanga Mashinini, Senior lecturer from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa

– Ismaila Ceesay, Minister of Information of the Republic of Gambia

– Adeyinka Adeyemi, Director General of Africa e-Governance Conference Initiative in Rwanda

– Uyuyo Edosio, Principal Innovation and Digital Expert at AFDB in Côte d’Ivoire

Additional speakers:

– Susan Mwape: Founder and Executive Director of Common Cause Zambia, panel moderator

– Desmond Oriakhogba: Panel moderator

Revised Summary of Discussion on Digital Governance in Africa

Introduction

This workshop focused on the future of governance in Africa, exploring the intersection of technology and governance. Participants discussed how digital transformation is reshaping governance across the continent, highlighting both opportunities and challenges. The discussion brought together a diverse group of speakers, including representatives from the African Union, national governments, international organisations, tech companies, and academia.

The Role of APRM in Promoting Good Governance and Digital Transformation

A key theme of the discussion was the role of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) in promoting good governance and digital transformation in Africa. Ambassador Salah Siddig Hammad, Head of African Governance Architecture Secretariat at the African Union, emphasized the importance of APRM in advancing good governance and implementing Agenda 2063, Africa’s blueprint for development.

Opportunities and Challenges of Digital Transformation

Speakers highlighted several ways in which digital technologies can enhance governance in Africa:

1. Improving resource management in agriculture and natural resources

2. Digitising government services to improve efficiency and reduce corruption

3. Leveraging digital tools for financial inclusion and economic growth

Dr. Uyuyo Edosio highlighted that Africa generates the least data globally, leading to underrepresentation in AI models and tools. She also noted the lack of local language models for African languages, emphasising the need for increased data generation and representation.

Challenges discussed included:

1. The digital divide between urban and rural areas, males and females, and across generations

2. Lack of digital infrastructure and connectivity

3. Low levels of digital literacy

4. Cybersecurity threats and data protection concerns

5. Potential for technology to exacerbate existing inequalities

Specific Initiatives and Policies

Speakers mentioned several specific initiatives and policies related to digital governance:

1. Nigeria’s signing of the Malabo Convention and ratification of the Protocol on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

2. The Gambia National Digital Transformation Policy 2021-2025

The Role of Social Media and Tech Companies

The discussion highlighted the complex role of social media and tech companies in African governance. While these platforms offer potential for enhancing democratic engagement, speakers also emphasised the need for responsible use and effective regulation.

Merci Ndegwa from Meta discussed the implementation of content moderation policies and fact-checking partnerships, while also stressing the importance of self-regulation and community standards for social media users.

Multi-stakeholder Approach

Several speakers emphasized the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach to digital governance, involving governments, tech companies, civil society, and international partners. Dr. Nomalanga Mashinini advocated for participatory and collaborative approaches between government and industry in developing governance frameworks for digital technologies.

Conclusion and Future Directions

The workshop concluded that while digital transformation presents significant opportunities for improving governance in Africa, it requires careful management, appropriate legal frameworks, and sustained investment in both infrastructure and human capital to ensure its benefits are equitably distributed across the continent.

Key takeaways included:

1. The potential of digital technologies to enhance governance, resource management, and economic growth in Africa

2. The need to address challenges around digital infrastructure, literacy, and the digital divide

3. The importance of a multi-stakeholder approach to digital governance

4. The crucial role of APRM in promoting good governance and digital transformation

In his closing remarks, Ambassador Salah Siddig Hammad reiterated the importance of leveraging digital technologies to enhance governance in Africa while addressing the associated challenges. He emphasized the need for continued collaboration and innovation in this rapidly evolving field.

The discussion emphasized the need for African-led solutions and frameworks, while also recognising the importance of engaging in global governance initiatives to address the transboundary nature of digital technologies. Overall, the tone remained optimistic about the potential for digital technologies to enhance governance and development in Africa, while also being realistic about the challenges that need to be overcome.

Moderator: we will also increase awareness and understanding of how emerging digital technologies impact on governance. So to kick off the workshop we are privileged to have esteemed panel whose insights will shape today’s discussion. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to invite Ambassador Salah Siddiq Hamad to the podium to moderate on the opening sessions. Our moderator Ambassador Salah Siddiq Hamad is the head of African Governance Architecture Secretariat at the African Union with extensive experience in governance, human rights, continental policy development. Ambassador Hamad has been at the forefront of promoting democratic principles and good governance across Africa. His leadership at the Agra Secretariat underscores his commitment to fostering cooperation among AU member states to achieve sustainable governance and development. Ambassador Hamad is widely recognized for his strategic vision and dedication to advancing governance agenda. Ambassador.

Salah Siddiq Hamad: Thank you very much and a very good afternoon to all of you and allow me to stand on the existing protocols since we are running out of time. We have an opening ceremony this afternoon before we kick off our session this afternoon and it seems like it’s a very short session of 20 minutes so hopefully we will be accomplishing our goal of having this session within the next 20 minutes. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, as has been mentioned this session is on the future of governance in Africa, exploring the nexus between governance and technology, assessing the impact of rapid technological advancements. on Governance and Fostering the Future of Governance in Africa. Welcome to Riyadh, the capital city of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and welcome to this session organized by APRM, the African Peer Review Mechanism. We will begin the opening ceremony with welcoming remarks from His Excellency Ambassador Nasir Aminu. Ambassador Nasir Aminu is the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Permanent Representative to the African Union based in Addis Ababa. Your Excellency, you have the floor, please. Thank you.

Nasir Aminu: Ambassador Nasir Aminu, The Chief Executive Officer of APRM, Excellencies, Honorable Ministers, Invited Guests, Members of the Press, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, It’s a great privilege and honor to welcome you to this important workshop that seeks to redefine governance in our dear continent, Africa. while leveraging on the rapidly changing global technological advancement for improved efficiency and service delivery to our people. Let me seize this opportunity to express our deep appreciation to the government and good people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the hospitality and excellent conference facilities extended to us since our arrival in this beautiful city of Riyadh. Similarly, I wish to commend the able leadership of the African Peer Review Mechanism, APRM, for the excellent work you have been doing over the years. This workshop is a testament of your hard work and commitment in promoting not only political stability in Africa, but also supporting innovative activities that are essential for Africa’s digital transformation and advancement for our sustainable development. The future of governance in Africa is a topic that demands critical examination, taking into account our diverse cultures, economies and political landscapes, which calls for a collaborative effort to reshape governance models that prioritize inclusivity, transparency and technological advancement towards addressing our economic and socio-political challenges. I wish to highlight Nigeria’s recent milestones, underscoring our commitment to advancing governance, human rights and technological innovation across Africa. Under the leadership of His Excellency President Bola Ametunegbu, Nigeria signed the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection. This landmark agreement, known as the Malabo Convention, establishes a critical legal framework for enhancing cyber security, safeguarding personal data. and fostering a secure environment for electronic commerce across the continent. By aligning our national priorities with this continental vision, Nigeria reaffirms its dedication to building robust digital infrastructure founded on transparency, accountability, and inclusivity. Additionally, the Federal Republic of Nigeria has demonstrated its unwavering commitment to inclusion by ratifying the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This action reflects our recognition of the transformative role technology can play in ensuring the full participation of persons with disabilities in governance and societal development, paving the way for a more equitable digital future. These actions resonate with the objective of the Program of the Future of Governance in the Digital Era, which seeks to harmonize digital transformation with the imperative of good governance and human dignity. Cybersecurity and data protection are prerequisites for trust in digital governance, and inclusion remains central to building a sustainable governance system. Your Excellencies, as we embrace these initiatives, it is imperative to institutionalize our commitment at the continental level. On this note, I therefore call on the APRM to advocate for the establishment of a continent-wide data protection authority. This body would provide unified oversight, enforce consistent data protection standards, and ensure the ethical use of technology across the continent. Such an authority would strengthen trust in digital governance and safeguard the rights of all Africans in the digital age. Excellencies, let me conclude by affirming Nigeria’s readiness to collaborate with relevant partners to make this vision a reality. Together, let us harness technological advancement, prioritize regional cooperation, and grassroots participation. As we navigate the complexities of the 21st century, it’s imperative that we prioritize these strategies to ensure a prosperous and democratic future for all Africans. I thank you for your attention.

Moderator: Thank you very much, Your Excellency, for your remarks. Lately, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the African Union has been advocating for the promotion of the nexus between good governance, peace and security, and development. And seeing the advancement of technological processes within that nexus is quite important for the advancement of human, the promotion of human and people’s rights in Africa. That is, of course, all within the implementation of Agenda 2063. And that is all, of course, within the implementation of Agenda 2063, for an Africa that we deserve, an Africa that we want. The next speaker, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, is a statement by the Honorable Baji Lamamly, Chairperson of the Committee on Transport, Industry, Communications, Energy Science and Technology. the government. The honorable is not with us so we will move of course to the keynote address by his excellency Amara Kalloun, the minister of political and public affairs of the Republic of Sierra Leone. I’m not sure if her excellency Selma Bahati-Mansouri is in the room. Her excellency. She’s not. She will be coming later. Okay. Let me now call on Mrs. Christina, Christina Dautry, the undersecretary general and a special advisor on Africa. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Can you hear me well? Yes, we do hear you loud and clear. Please proceed. Thank you. Greetings.

Speaker 1: Thank you very much for the invitation to my dear sister Marie Antoinette. All protocols observed. Governance and technology. This is the subject of our conversation today. And when preparing myself for this conversation, I decided before jumping to a technological conversation, technological solutions. and even technological challenges such as the digital divided daughters, I do believe that we need to understand what is the status and the state of governance in Africa and the reasons behind that. This is the reason that my intervention, and I hope to be in the five minutes, will be designed to complement those that have been more focused on technological, because I believe the technological is just a tool. We need to understand the phenomenon so we can design more appropriate technical solutions. So my intervention will be touching three essential aspects. The first, historical roots of African governance challenge. I believe that is important for us Africans to understand. Second, the absence of the state, at the end of the day, a sort of governance threat. And third, breaking the trap, rebooting policymaking through four conceptual pieces. So going to the first, and I’ll be very quickly, historical roots of African governance challenge. So the governance challenge facing Africa today are deeply rooted in history. We cannot just erase that as a black chess board. It’s not possible. Where the structures and functions of the state, what essentially is shaped to serve the interest of external power. And we should say it in a very normal and calm way. So at independence, African nations in a rate of fragile and ill-suited state apparatus, which was fundamentally incompatible with aspirations of independence and development. So basically, we Africans, we need to acknowledge that the colonial state that we narrate had essentially two primary functions. Enforcing the rule of law. door to maintain colonial order, normal, logical. Second, resource extraction to serve, as I said, economic interests of these external powers. So this extractive and minimalist model of governance lacks mechanisms for cost-inclusive economic growth, social equity, and long-term development. So when African nations gained independence, the institutional capacity of the innate colonial state was fully inadequate for delivering the ambitious development. So there was a mismatch at that time. There was a mismatch between development aspirations and institutional capacity made failure almost inevitable. So in the aftermath of early governance failures, everyone knows in the 60s, but more in the 70s, so in the aftermath of these early governance failures, exacerbated by, essentially, independent economic struggles, et cetera, et cetera. So we know that the brethren of institutions offer prescriptive solutions based, essentially, on neoliberal theories. Instead of addressing the structural, let’s say, weakness of the innate state, everybody knows that they blame more the perceived overreach of the post-independence state. This is the reason that African states were accused to be too big and too interventionist, which supposedly stifled market dynamics and economic efficiency. So the results, of course, was the implementation of the search and adjustment programs that were initiated in the 90s, where, basically, these programs sought to rule back the state by reducing public spending, privatizing state-owned enterprises, liberalizing markets, opening economies to foreign competition. So basically, this approach. as a solution to state inefficiency, weakened African states even further. So rather than revitalizing African economies, as everybody knows, structures that were progressed deepened their vulnerabilities. Public service deteriorated, state capacity eroded, poverty increased. So the withdrawal of the state from economic governance left markets poorly regulated and economic actors unaccountable. So African states, as I said, became weaker, more fragmented, and less able to deliver basically their development responsibilities. So as a result, many African states today lack the capacity to manage their economy, their financial flows, deliver public goods effectively. In essence, the state has been sidelined in favor of market forces, foreign actors, and I would say global institutions. So over three decades, a weakened state has left African nations unable to, first, to control economic and financial. Basically, African economies remain highly dependent on external actors, significant capital supply, illicit financial. Second, left African nations unable to manage assets for development, natural resource, infrastructure, financial system. Third, left African nations unable to deliver public, let’s say, service. So the absence of the state has, in a certain way, perpetuated a cycle of dependence under development and social instability. So locking Africa in a sort of governance trap. And you need to understand that. So we can design, we can conceptualize, but in a more efficient way, the technological solution. So there is a need today in the 21st century, the need to break the trap. So rebooting policymaking through four conceptual pillars and I’ll be just naming them. The first conceptual pillar that we Africans we need to understand, that the only way to deliver the labor peace is by delivering sustainable development. Short-term solutions are mundane and don’t address the challenge. The second conceptual pillar is to see that the sustainable development requires sustainable finance, means substantial and long-term. Financing must go beyond short-term aid to support structural transformation, must be nationally owned, so it must be resilient. Financial systems must be able and capable of withstanding economic shocks and global market vulnerability. So to secure sustainable financing, we reach a point that we owe African policymakers and African partners must prioritize domestic resource mobilization as a driver of financing for development, shifting the paradigm. Of course, the third conceptual pillar is if the labor peace requires sustainable development, sustainable development requires sustainable financing, while it’s clear that sustainable financing requires control over economic and financial tools, and control over economic and financial tools requires strong and effective state institutions. And this fourth conceptual pillar, in my opinion, should be the driver when talking about the future of governance in Africa, which is today’s, let’s say, workshop. So strong institutions provide the foundation of economic sovereignty. sustainable finance and durable peace. So in the 21st century, to deliver control over economic and financial flow, to deliver sustainable finance, to deliver sustainable value, to deliver durable peace, digital transformation anchored on consistent investments of digital public infrastructure is not a policy option, but an imperative in terms of rescue the future of governance in Africa, and of course, to design the technological solutions to address the root causes of, let’s say, of inefficiency of today’s African governance. And I would like to stop here, back to you. Thank you very much for the opportunity.

Moderator: Thank you very much, Honorable, Your Excellency, Under-Secretary-General and Special Advisor on Africa for your statement. We really appreciate it, and I hope you will stay with us a bit longer. Now I have the honor to call on the representative of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, and the chairperson of the APR Committee of focal points, to deliver a welcoming remarks. Please, thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Speaker 2: Thank you. Your Excellency, Ambassador Marion Tawanatros-Kater, CEO of the APRM Continental Secretariat, dear participants, ladies and gentlemen. First of all, allow me to convey to you the warmest greetings and best wishes of success of Her Excellency, the State Secretary, For African Affairs, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Algeria, Mrs. Selma Bakhta Mansouri, Algeria’s National Focal Point and Chair of the APRM Committee of Focal Points. Her Excellency, the State Secretary, due to her busy schedule, was not able to take part and or to attend this important workshop on governance and technology organized by the APRM. Allow me also to extend my heartfelt gratitude and special thanks to the authorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for their hospitality and all the facilities they made available to us for the holding of this important workshop. My presence here today testifies and reflects the commitment of my country, Algeria, under the leadership of the President of the Republic, His Excellency Abdelmajid Boun, President of the Forum of Heads of States and Governments of the APRM, to continue its support to the APRM in the accomplishment of its mission in promoting good governance in Africa. The APRM serves as a crucial self-monitoring tool aimed at fostering political stability, sustainable development, and economic growth across the African continent. Today, as we witness rapid technological advancements reshaping global governance frameworks, it is imperative that we come together to navigate the intricate intersection between technology and governance. Africa’s digital transformation which presents both opportunities and challenges should be positioned among the top priorities of African Agenda 2063. As it connects all sectors, it requires a more transversal than vertical approach as well as a more intense intersectoral coordination that will make it possible to achieve the objectives of the Agenda 2063. Where technology holds the potential for inclusive development, it also amplifies existing inequalities and poses ethical and legal dilemmas. It is our collective responsibility to bridge the digital divide and ensure that technological advancements are harnessed for the benefit of all, especially the marginalized communities. Ladies and gentlemen, dear participants, let’s recall in this perspective the African Union demonstrated leadership and commitment to Africa’s digital future by adopting the African Digital Compact and the Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy in July 2024. These are not just policy documents, they represent a unified vision. The African Digital Compact aims to harness the power of digital technologies for economic growth, societal well-being and long-term development across the continent. The Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy aims to leverage artificial intelligence for sustainable development in Africa, aligned with Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals. 2030. Debating on governance and technology nexus in Africa is a perfect opportunity to unite the vision for Africa’s digital future as it explores how digital transformation can address Africa’s unique challenges and pave the way for progress towards Agenda 2063. This unity of vision is what will drive Africa’s digital future. In this context, this workshop serves as a platform for African member states and all stakeholders and partners to collaborate in leveraging technology ethically and inclusively for the advancement of our continent. By fostering a shared understanding among policymakers, civil society, academia, and other stakeholders, we aim to navigate the opportunities and risks posed by technological innovation and align them with Africa’s development goals. Together, we should develop strategies to leverage the benefits of frontier technologies while mitigating associated risks. Through a multi-stakeholder approach, we will explore the applications of technology in governance and advocate for ethical, equitable, inclusive, and transparent use of emerging technologies. Let’s work towards establishing a vibrant ecosystem for digital governance in Africa, enhancing sectoral performance, strengthening regional cooperation, and accelerating progress towards our development goals. Together, we can shape a future where technology empowers us to build a more inclusive and sustainable Africa. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you, and let’s make today’s workshop an invaluable opportunity for us to gather insights, share best practices, and identify priorities for advancing digital governance and transformation. Looking forward and to embark on this journey of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and innovation for the betterment of our continent, I thank you for your kind attention. Thank you very much.

Moderator: Thank you very much indeed. This is a very good opportunity and an excellent platform for us to share best practices and information on how to advance technology in Africa. Not only technology, but governance as, of course, the ultimate goal through the advancement of technology. I’m not sure if His Excellency the Minister from Sierra Leone is with us, Gibran. Can we check online to see if he’s available now? His Excellency, the Minister of Public and Political Affairs of Sierra Leone. All right, the time has come for us, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, to listen to the opening remarks by Her Excellency, Ambassador. Marie Antoinette Rose Quadri, the Chief Executive Officer of the African Peer Review Mechanism. Your Excellency, you have the floor, please.

Speaker 3: Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, all protocols observed. It is a profound honour to join you at this defining moment for our continent. A moment when winds of technological transformation are sweeping across our continent, offering opportunities to reimagine governance and secure a future that is more inclusive, accountable and prosperous. Today we stand at the intersection of innovation and responsibility at a time when the choices we make about governance and technology will echo across generations. Let me begin with a reflection. Governance, at its core, is about people and their hopes, their aspirations and their dreams for a better tomorrow. Technology, meanwhile, is not just a tool. It is a bridge that connects those dreams to reality. It can amplify voices, illuminate truths and inspire innovation. But, as with all powerful tools, it can also divide, distort and exclude. But let’s also be clear. Technology is not a cure-all. Its power is only as good as the principles that guide its use. Without ethics, it can divide us. Without inclusivity, it can deepen inequalities. Without accountability, it can divide us. it can undermine trust. That’s why we’re here, to ensure that Africa leads this digital era with integrity and purpose. Our mission here today is to ensure that technology serves as a force for unity and progress, not division and stagnation. This workshop is not just another event. It’s much more than governance or technology alone. It’s about people. It’s a clarion call. A call for leaders, thinkers and doers from across Africa to chart a course forward. One that ensures technology strengthens governance rather than undermines it and empower citizens rather than marginalizes them. It’s about the young entrepreneur in Lagos coding solutions to connect rural farmers. The student in Nairobi pushing for transparency through digital activism. And the policy leaders across our member states working to build systems that reflect the aspirations of their people. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, over the coming hours, we will explore the nexus between governance and technology guided by critical questions. How can technology strengthen democratic processes across the continent? How do we confront cyber threats and misinformation that erode trust in governance? And how do we ensure that Africa’s digital transformation leaves no one behind, whether rural or urban, young or old, rich or poor, men or women? The APRM has long championed the principles of accountability, inclusivity and innovation through our e-governance initiatives and in partnership with the United Nations Office of the Special Advisor on Africa, UNOSA. We are strengthening e-governance in Africa through policy innovation and transformative technologies, as directed by the United Nations General Assembly. Furthermore, our collaboration with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, UNDESA, on capacity building has been instrumental in capacitating APRM member states. As we begin, I will ask you to approach today’s discussions with an open mind and collaborative spirit, because the future of governance in Africa will not be defined by any one of us, but it will be shaped by all of us together. I am confident that this room holds the visionaries who will shape it. Let us make this moment where bold ideas meet transformative action, where the vision for a digitally empowered Africa becomes reality. It is my great privilege to officially open the workshop on the future of governance in Africa. Thank you, and I look forward to these extraordinary outcomes we will achieve together. I thank you.

Moderator: Your Excellency, thank you very much for your opening remarks. Indeed, while we are proceeding with the implementation of Agenda 2063 and the advancement of technology in Africa, no one should be left behind. No women, no men, no children, no adult, no people in the urban or rural areas of Africa. This brings us to the end of the opening ceremony, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen. And now I would like to democratically hand over the microphone to Professor… This month, this month is an associate professor, the Department of Private Law at the University of UWC. The session, session number one. Thank you. Thank you very much, Ambassador. Okay. Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I think for now I’m actually playing the role of a forerunner, and I will simply be introducing the next person, the person who would actually moderate the next session, and she is none other than Susan Mwape, who is the founder and Executive Director of Common Cause Zambia. I’ll be coming after her, like John the Baptist, I’ll be after her, right, like Jesus Christ came, you know, after John the Baptist. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you’re able to hear me. I can’t hear myself. Good afternoon. All right, so thank you very much. Thank you Desmond for the introduction. I will at this point be inviting somebody who has already been introduced and we will have just a brief fireside chat with Ambassador Sala. Hamad. As has already been introduced, Ambassador Sala is the head of the African Governance Architecture Secretariat at the African Union. And Ambassador, you’re very much welcome. Follow your work and you have been doing such great work at the AGA Secretariat. I’ll start by asking you, how has digital transformation reshaped governance in Africa, particularly in enhancing democratic engagements, political pluralism, and of course the big issue, electoral integrity?

Salah Siddiq Hamad: Thank you very much indeed. As he for she, I’m quite honored that you are the one moderating this session. Thank you. I’m not saying anything against Professor Desmond, but it’s an honor to be interviewed by a woman because this is what we believe in in Africa, that Africa cannot really be developed and built without the active participation of women. How digital transformation reshape governance in Africa? I think before we speak about the future, we need to really make reference to the past and to the present. Africa, as we all know, has been going through a lot of challenges, even before independence, slavery, colonialism, and now civil wars in many African countries, apartheid in the Southern African region, and you name it. so many challenges. So therefore, the advancement of good governance is absolutely one of the ultimate objectives that we need to reach before we proceed with the implementation of Agenda 2063, the blueprint for Africa, for building the Africa we want and the Africa we deserve. But where are we now from that objective? I would say that it’s a work in progress, but we need to really do more. Why? Because despite the fact that Africa has advanced a bit in issues related to elections and in particular the electoral processes, we still see some setbacks in some of the African countries. It’s not because the technology is not working, but because the other infrastructures are not available. The technology by itself will not work to advance governance, but we need really the people to know their rights and duties and to understand what is the political processes and the governance advancement is all about. So without orientation, without really raising awareness, I think technology by itself will not really work. In some African countries also, we need to really face the reality that the infrastructure that will be based for the advancement of technology is also lacking. So we need to look into the infrastructure that is needed to make sure that the advancement of technology is helping. Also, I think to focus more on the question, how is it reshaping governance and advancing election in Africa? I think we need to also look into how many Africans do have access to internet, how many Africans do have access to a smartphone that could be used to access internet. how many women versus men? How many young men and women versus old? I think all of these questions need to be addressed. In addition to that, the issue of infrastructure, including, I would say, even power in some African countries where all of this technology needs to be powered. Are we utilizing solar systems to empower our infrastructure so we can have a valid infrastructure and platform for empowering or for advancing technology? All of these questions need to be addressed. And I think most of all, again, we need to really make sure that all Africans are quite informed and aware of their duties and rights as part of the advancement of good governance, role of law and technology, based on technology in Africa. Thank you.

Moderator: Thank you very much for that, Ambassador. And I think you raised a lot of very valuable issues. When we talk about Africa, I think the digital divide remains one of the biggest challenges, issues of infrastructure. We are seeing a lot of rapid progress in terms of what kinds of development is happening across the continent based on international standards and best practices that are being recommended. I think one thing that would come to mind would be the DPI initiatives. And we are still trying to figure out how that will speak to our rural communities, for example, and those that are already in the divide. But then maybe in your view, what would you say is the role of the different digital tools that we have in improving governance? I’ll pass it.

Salah Siddiq Hamad: The different tools that we currently have do have impact on our processes and also on our efforts. to promote good governance and e-governance, in particular in Africa. But of course, I think there’s also, we need to speak about the need for political support from our governance to allow these processes to exist and to proceed. Without political support, it would not be easy really to achieve that goal. Secondly, changes is always looked at as something that could be of disturbing nature. People by nature don’t really accept changes easily. And all of this technological infrastructure that we are talking about and mechanisms and tools, they are to some extent quite new, if not new. And therefore, we need to also accompany the process with, I would say, a stronger orientation processes to make sure that these people, our African people, are looking into the positive side of implementation of all of these tools and processes that we have. I’m saying this because in many cases, during elections in some African countries, the initial response from government will be to block internet. Why? In their view, the internet will be a tool for spreading fake news and bad news and news that will disturb the election processes. How can we prevent all of this without blocking the internet? How can we allow the African people to enjoy and to benefit from the internet while voting? How can the internet be used to ease the access to information and to also ease access to information that will allow them to vote in a way that it will make them benefit from the entire process as African citizens? Again, political support is quite important. but also general orientation is needed to allow the African citizens to know what is going on in that sphere.

Moderator: Okay, I will ask you my last question because that’s all we had time for. We have initiatives such as the African Peer Review Mechanism, which also somehow serves as an early warning too, in addition to the review processes that in the text. But at the same time, the continent also have several other early warning mechanisms. How then would you say technology can play a role in strengthening those kinds of mechanisms, such as the APRM, which is a co-governance tool that Africa is using and all these other mechanisms?

Salah Siddiq Hamad: This is an excellent question. And I think this is also an opportune moment to congratulate APRM for a job well done. APRM since its existence has been an excellent mechanism as part of the African Union family to promote good governance, democracy, rule of law in Africa through different and various mechanisms and tools. And I think one of the greatest tools that has been used in addition to the review and all of these other reviews and processes is the Africa Governance Report, which is currently one of the Africa’s, I would say, reports that speaks to the reality of governance at the national and continental level. On the other hand,

Speaker 4: Moderator, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, let me say that it is an honor today to address you. And I’m sorry that I cannot be with you in the beautiful kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I am here sitting in Durban, my internet is a little unstable, so I may at some point just have to switch off the camera, and I have a PowerPoint presentation which I see somebody is sharing. But let me quickly go through this presentation in the interest of time moderator. Let me switch off the camera, otherwise it will switch off. Cyber diplomacy in Africa and the pivotal role it plays, moderator, in securing our continent’s future, is a very, very important topic for us today on the continent. And digital technologies must be one more tool for us to break the chains of colonialism and neocolonialism, and not allow it to be used once again to imprison us. In an increasingly interconnected world, African nations must establish a unified approach to cyber diplomacy. One that balances, as you see there, the national interests with regional security and developmental and governance goals. Let us examine these challenges through five key questions, if we can get to the next slide. How can African countries create a unified framework for cyber diplomacy? The answer, colleagues, begins with cooperation. Regional organizations such as the African Union and its African Peer Review Mechanism are uniquely positioned to drive this process. The AU has already provided foundational initiatives, like the Malabar Convention on Cyber Security and Data Protection. By adopting such agreements… African countries can harmonize national cyber security policies under a collective framework. A regional cyber diplomacy council supported by the AU, and I know the earlier speaker talked about a data central authority, so either a data central authority or a regional cyber diplomacy council supported by the African Union to serve as a platform to coordinate interests, resolve conflicts, and promote Africa’s shared goals of security, development, governance, and digital inclusion. Second excellencies, what capacity building initiatives are needed to enhance African diplomacy? Cyber diplomacy requires a unique blend of negotiation, mediation, and technical expertise. Capacity building programs should focus on training African diplomats to navigate cyber-related disputes and threats. Establishing regional cyber academies and centers of excellence in collaboration with international partners will be essential to this effort. Technology transfer agreements can help African states build indigenous skills while fostering partnerships with global cyber security leaders. Thirdly, what mechanisms can ensure transparency, accountability, and trust? Trust is the cornerstone of successful cyber diplomacy. African nations must develop mechanisms for confidence building, such as cyber incidence response frameworks, joint exercises, and data sharing agreements. The establishment of a regional cyber dispute resolution body can further provide neutral ground for resolving conflicts related to sovereignty, data protection, and security. and cyber crime. Additionally, adopting international norms like the UN Group of Governmental Experts Principles on Responsible State Behavior will reinforce Africa’s commitment to a rules-based digital order. Fourth, how can cyber diplomacy promote peacebuilding and prevent cyber conflicts? Cyber incidents can escalate quickly into broader conflicts if left unchecked, and we see this all across our continent. Africa must productively use cyber diplomacy as a peacebuilding tool. For example, early warning systems and cyber confidence-building measures can prevent misunderstandings between nations. Africa can also learn from the experiences of regions like the European Union and ASEAN, which have successfully implemented cyber dialogue platforms to manage disputes. By fostering regular communication and sharing best practices, we as African nations can prevent cyber threats from becoming destabilizing forces. Fifthly, what role can public-private partnerships and civil society play? The private sector and civil society are key stakeholders in Africa’s cyber diplomacy agenda. Public-private partnerships can drive innovation, enhance infrastructure, and provide expertise in addressing complex cyber challenges. Private companies can also assist in developing standards for cybersecurity and digital trust. Civil society, meanwhile, bring inclusivity and accountability to cyber policymaking. By engaging these stakeholders, African nations can ensure that cyber diplomacy outcomes are equitable, innovative, and resilient. And in conclusion, moderator, let me say that the path towards a unified… framework for African cyber diplomacy is challenging, but achievable. Through regional cooperation under the leadership of the African Union, strategic capacity-building initiatives, robust transparency mechanisms, and active stakeholder engagements, the APRM can shape a cyber diplomacy agenda that promotes security, peace, governance, and development, and use these digital tools to liberate our continent and not imprison us again. I thank you, moderator.

Moderator: Thank you very much, Dr. Vasu. Can we please give him a round of applause? All right, so we go straight to the next panel. It’s going to be a panel discussion, and I will introduce the panelists, and then we get on to the discussion without wasting time. So the first on my list will be Dr. Kashifu Inua Abdullahi, who is the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Nigeria. We also have as a member of the panel Mr. Denise Sousa. Mr. Denise Sousa is the Governance and Public Administration Officer, Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Is he here present? Is he physically present? Mr. Denise, is he here? Okay, I will introduce him when he comes back into the hall. We also have Ms. Jimena Sofia Viveros Alvarez. I hope I got the name correctly. She is the Managing Director and CEO of Equilibrium AI, and I also understand that she is a lawyer from Mexico. All right. We have joining us virtually Dr. Nomalanga Mashinini, who is a senior lecturer from the University of the Vist Water Strands in Johannesburg, South Africa. And also we have from Malawi, Dr. Jeanne Filippo, who is the Director General of the Financial Intelligence Authority in Malawi. Is she participating virtually? Okay, so Dr. Jeanne is participating virtually. And we have the last but not the least, Ms. Arusha Goyal, who is the Policy Lead, Middle Eastern Africa Chain Analysis, United Arab Emirates. Okay, we will announce her presence when she joins us. Without wasting time, we’ll go straight to the question, and it is my pleasure to call on, the first question will be actually pinned by Dr. Kashifu. Nigeria recently just left an electionary period, and for some of us who observed the elections from afar, especially from social media, the engagement was quite charged. You know, lots of misinformation flying around, a lot of fake news, a lot of exaggeration. But again, amidst those, we still had a lot of informed, you know, discussion by the Nigerian citizens. You know, they were very interested in who was going to lead them. So drawing from that experience, from that, you know, the outcome of the elections, and from what your agency, NIDDA, is doing in Nigeria. We would need to know what NIDDA is putting in place to promote informed and ethical engagement of Nigerian citizens in the democratic process in our future elections.

Speaker 5: Thank you. If you look at the history of internet and social media, when it started in early 2000, we all started or rushed after it without thinking of putting guardrails around it. Like we had the John Ballos declaration saying that internet is ungoverned space. We have the big techs as of that time saying that internet and social media is a free space. Nobody can govern it. But from 2016, things started changing after the Cambridge Analytica issues, whereby the big techs started calling for regulation. But the challenge is we don’t know how to regulate internet or social media because there is no legal books or history books that we can read to understand how to regulate these spaces. Because the generation before us never encountered these kind of challenges. So it’s something that we need to co-create how to regulate. And countries today are grappling on how to regulate these spaces. And we are looking at it from different perspectives. Then in Nigeria, we had an incident in 2000 and 2021 when Twitter was banned because of… this kind of challenges, people were misusing the platform. At that time, there was no any contact between the government and these big techs. And that’s when Nidia moved in to fill the gap. We did that by creating a code of practice, because social media is not something or technology you can just say you regulated this way, because it always changed. And also one thing with the techie guys, they always try to look at how to stretch the law or to hack the law to bypass it. So the best thing to do was to say that anything that is illegal offline is illegal online. So how can we move our law from the physical world we are to the virtual world we are creating? So we came up with the code of practice to let these big techs, the social media platforms and so on, to understand our laws so that they can apply it in their platforms in Nigeria. Because most of developing countries, we don’t have data sovereignty. We don’t have operations sovereignty. Because the big techs will decide how to operate their platforms without consulting us. And we don’t have digital sovereignty. And they don’t listen to us in most cases. So that COP brought them to the table where we sat together to create how we can navigate this platform together or how we can navigate the challenges. So we came up with the COP, the code of practice, whereby they need to respect all Nigerian laws. They need to register. in Nigeria, they need to understand content that is harmful in Nigeria and we need to agree on take down. We categorize content into two, there are illegal and legal, lawful and unlawful content. Lawful content should be allowed on the platform, while unlawful they should take it down immediately. But there are content that are lawful but harmful, which need to be reviewed to understand those content before you take them down. So that COP also provided a platform for us to engage when there are issues, we escalate, we look, we sit together and review them. And we also get them to engage fact-checkers in Nigeria because at the time we had that Twitter issue, there wasn’t any certified fact-checker in Nigeria, mostly they use fact-checkers from the US, from the western countries to look at the content in Nigeria, which they don’t even understand because there are local things that you cannot understand if you are not in Nigeria, even English words, there are English words we speak in Nigeria you cannot understand if you are not a Nigerian. So we need fact-checkers that understand the local context and also that can be able to translate things before they take decisions. So that really helped us to moderate that space. And this year they filed a report because part of the COP they need to be filing annual report to look at the number of content they take down, the number of content they put back after taking down, because sometimes also there are… is cyberbullying. If someone doesn’t like your content, people can gang around to flag your content. And this platform, they take it down. And you can initiate the process to put it back. Based on the report last year, they removed more than 60 million contents in Nigeria, harmful content. And also, they reinstated many. I don’t have the figures, but we published the report just a few weeks ago. It’s available online. And also, that get them to start filing taxes in Nigeria. Because in the half year this year, in between January to June, they paid more than 2.5 trillion Naira in VAT in Nigeria, which before, they don’t used to pay most of that.

Moderator: Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Dr. Kashifu. As you were speaking, one important point I got from your discussion is the fact lack of moderation of engagement on the social media can actually threaten security. And with the emergence of the AI technology, that can actually, that situation can be exacerbated. So it can pose a greater risk to national security, to peace, peaceful coexistence among citizens. And that leads me to the question that I would like Ms. Jimena to address. I would want to know what governance framework you think that countries, especially in the global south, and particularly Africa, can adopt to address the risk that AI poses to peace and security. Well, first of all, thank you for having me here, your excellencies, distinguished panelists.

Speaker 6: So I am Ximena Riveros, and I am Mexican, but I live in Zimbabwe, so that is my link to this conference. I’m also a member of the high-level advisory body on AI that the Secretary General of the UN created. So we have been looking at a whole different set of solutions or recommendations for AI governance at the global level. Our conclusion was that, although obviously there’s a need for a regional kind of context-specific approach, there cannot be a real governance if we don’t talk about global governance, because the technology is completely transboundary, it’s transregional, and if we just have regional or national initiatives, we’re just witnessing like a patchwork of all of these different things that are not in a coherent manner adhered. So that’s what we are aiming for. So what struck us the most was, so we did a survey, and out of all of the 193 countries of the United Nations, 118 are not a part of any of the international governance initiatives worldwide, 118, out of which over 50 of Africa are in those 118. And only 7 are part of all of them, the G7. So that really is very striking, because we need more inclusivity. and we need more access to these conversations and more engagement as well. Because if we don’t do so, there’s going to be just the widening of the digital gap and more inequalities and a bunch of problems that come with the exclusion, especially with the marginalized communities, the lack of data and etc. So the way we need to achieve this is by creating synergies, strategic synergies, strategic partnerships. We discovered that the Global South to Global South kind of cooperation is more efficient and more welcome than Global North to Global South because simply within the Global South we understand the problematics, we understand each other whereas the Global North doesn’t really and their priorities are different. And what we want to avoid is this techno has been addressed or this new techno-colonization whether it’s for resources or for permitting, just the dependency itself because that’s going to bridge us even further from where we need to be in terms of trying to achieve the sustainable development goals by 2030 and even beyond. So we need to have this strategic vision that goes even further and is ahead thinking. So where does this place us in terms of governance? We need governance that is resilient, that is techno-neutral in order for it to be adaptive to the evolution of the technology itself which is extremely fast-paced and that needs to be generalistic because we cannot separate, it’s dual use by nature, right? So the technology, so we cannot separate the military domain, the civilian domain. domain, I call it the peace and security domain, but on purpose, because there are implications that are, you know, intersecting both domains. For example, it is the exact same technology that is being used by the militaries, which is a state actor, but it’s also being used by all other type of state actors, such as law enforcement or border controls, which are civilian by nature. And then we also have non-state actors, which are more relevant for our region than for, say, the global north, which are organized crime, terrorism, mercenaries, and so on. And the dire reality is that in our regions, this type of groups might have even more capabilities than the government itself, and the governments themselves don’t even have the response, the capacity of responding to attacks by these groups, with or without the technology, but exacerbated by their access to this technology, dictated by the proliferation of it, because we don’t have a governance regime. So this is critical to address. So what is the landscape in regards to the governance of specifically, say, what regards to the military domain? So in the HLAB, so the High-Level Advisory Report, there was even a discussion whether to include it or not. Fortunately, we did, because of these reasons, because it’s dual use by nature, and we cannot exclude it. So we did have a lot of considerations into the peace and security domains. For those who haven’t read our final report, which was submitted in September, right before the end of the year. summit of the future and then it was subsequently our recommendations were adopted into the the global digital compact and the pact for the future we do include recommendations for peace and security so that’s that’s a starting point so we have the pact of the future that focus then we also have the GG on laws which group of governmental experts that are within the UN’s conventional for conventional weapons which I think a little bit ironic because say autonomous weapons are the least of the conventional weapons but anyway that the discussions have been kind of deadlocked for the past over 10 years so now we’re really and this is for AI in general since this is a multi-stakeholder environment as the IGF is and how AI should also be covered and all of knowledge is because of the shift of dynamics and that are happening all over the world we need to reimagine how this governance can be achieved so the traditional methods are no longer working because then that the conversations and the discussions are deadlocked when you know one of the p5 states just decides that it’s done so the whole veto system of the Security Council and even the the structure of the GG’s has not proven to be successful for our interests obviously for them it does work out but anyway so in that sense we have that we also have the Global Commission for the Responsible Use of AI in the military domain where I’m also Commissioner you need here has a group of experts also called race then you did but the greatest achievement I think so far is moving the conversation away from the EGE on laws to the UN General Assembly, because then we have witnessed some very important resolutions which include explicitly the call for AI regulation in the military domain, which hasn’t been seen before. And we also have a very important call for action by the Secretary General, Guterres, and by the ICRC to have a binding treaty on autonomous weapons by 2026. So we really hope that this can be achieved, because the dire consequences on our region, as we have seen, for example, in Gaza, well, and also in Ukraine, but it’s just an example of how it’s disproportionately affecting the global south. Because this technology, these weapons, are not going to be deployed in the global north. We are going to be the recipients, we are the recipients, and they’re being field tested as they are deployed. There’s no testing in between, and there’s no accountability, and there’s so many problems with their deployment because of bias. And that also comes back to the point of the missing data, because, for example, these models that are, you know, the weapons that are targeting civilians are working on the data that it’s been trained on, and, for example, it just depends on who has been training the models and which data they have been trained on. So obviously these are global north enterprises that are training these models and creating them and then being deployed into the field. So obviously there are racial, there are even gender and age, all types of biases that are imprinted, and that’s how they’re targeting and attacking civilians.

Moderator: Yeah, thank you very much. I know you’ve got a lot to say, but for want of time, we’ll just proceed. We’ll come back to you again to share some thoughts. But as you were speaking, I heard you talk about multi-stakeholder approach, and that takes me back to Dr. Kashifu’s presentation where he talked about the role that Facebook Cambridge Analytica played. And of course, all these are enhanced by the emerging AI destructive technology. So I would now want to call on Ms. Merci Ndegwa, who is a director of public policy, east and on of Africa for Meta, Meta or Facebook, to intervene in the discussion. I mean, and we want her to tell us how Meta is leveraging its platform to support democratic management, engagement, sorry, in Africa, particularly during elections and periods of political transition. Thank you so much, Professor. I hope you can all hear me okay.

Speaker 7: Yes, we can. I thank you for having me in this session, and I apologize that I’m not able to join you in person in Riyadh, but I’m glad that we have this tech-enabled session where we can still participate even though we’re not there in person. So please bear with me in case of any challenges with regards to the connection. I’m grateful for the opportunity to come and join you to have this conversation. And I just, before I answer your question, I think I want to just draw us back to the context that was really helpful as I was preparing for this session that was basically looking at what, you know, what’s the nexus between technology and digital governance pretty much is. And one of the things that I think was alluded to and was brought up very strongly. even in the keynotes that were presented before my notes here right now, alluded to the fact that technology has actually been a very huge enabler in advancing governance across our countries and it has actually also enabled us to be able to do so at scale and to be able to empower communities and bring a lot of benefits on board. But even as I was thinking about this, I think in the earlier remarks that have been presented here, there is a lot of focus, I’d say, on social media specifically within the digital governance space. But I’d love to draw attention to the broader, let me say, environment that is the digital space because we’re talking about social media being one. We definitely are players in that space. There is e-commerce, there is e-governance, e-government services, there is payments themselves, all of which are but a few of the areas that I would say are the broader ecosystem within which we are speaking about digital governance. And so, again, to the points that were raised before, the question is not so much what a single player or players in a specific area could do, but more so how can we all be involved in ensuring that digital governance is upheld and that we continue to improve on how we promote this. When we think about digital governance at META, we’re thinking primarily about, I’d say, three or four areas. One, and this is to answer your question, whether it be in our engagements around elections or it be around mitigation of any integrity risks, as we call them, around privacy and security, around misinformation and disinformation, any cybersecurity risks that may emerge with the use of our platforms. I think we have had in earlier sessions and even a bit of this as mentioned within the keynote, issues around algorithmic bias and having understanding around that, there is the question of exclusion of people from the digital space. So still elements of digital divide being a key part of some of the digital governance areas that I think continue to undermine peace and could actually be areas of improvement for all of us to work on, to see how we can promote better digital governance and peace and security across. And so for us at Meta, like I was saying earlier, we think about this from primarily three to four areas. One is how can we ensure that there is self-monitoring by all of those who are coming onto our platforms. Today, our platforms support over 3.3 billion users who come onto our platforms actively every month across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger. And all of these users are interacting for different reasons. Some are coming to connect with one another because they are either geographically removed from each other. Others are connecting because they have similar hobbies or interests. And others are coming to connect because they want to promote either business or let me say, digital economy related work streams. So you’re looking at create ecosystem and others like that. And all of these are really fundamental in ensuring that we continue to advance economic development and also social impact and economic growth across. And for us, when we think about the self-regulation, we want to ensure that those users as they come onto our platforms are very clear about what rules we have with regards to how they conduct themselves on our platforms. So we have very elaborate, what we call community standards or guidelines across these platforms that inform our different users with regards to what we allow or not allow on our platform. So that being the most effective. way to start with. But we recognize that a lot of people also may not necessarily look into this community guidelines and rules as we would like, even though we take a lot of effort and time in making sure that these policies are regularly reviewed and updated and that we get into a lot of consultation with experts, bodies, governments, associations, civil society organizations and others to draft them. We then have to think about how can we as a responsible organization then ensure that we can use other, let me say strategies within our control to support and uphold the integrity and governance across our platforms. And so this is where our second intervention comes in. We think about how can we do this, for example, using machine learning tools or artificial intelligence to be able to address some of these integrity risks at scale. And we have found that this has been extremely effective when we think about, for example, being able to bring down fake accounts or accounts that are created by folks with the intention of either using them to propagate bad activity online or to target people. And we find that when we’ve done that, a lot of the content that could have been problematic is then addressed and brought down even before that content is published or even seen by users. But there are more sophisticated actors who may come onto our platforms with different intentions. And I think some of these challenges are part of what we’re discussing here. And the question at hand you’ve mentioned is part of this problem. And we are constantly then making sure that to our third intervention is that we are working in partnership with others who are experts in this area. We are a technology company and we have a lot of expertise in-house drawn from different disciplines. But then over and above that, we want to ensure that we are working very closely and in tandem with others who also have the depth and expertise in those different areas of verticals to get support in making sure that we have the right oversight about how we create our. policies, how we develop our products, and how then we execute on programs on the ground, which then brings me to that last part, the programs themselves. Once we have identified, we have our policies in place, we have developed our machine learning and AI tools that help us to address some of these concerns at scale, we also do then partner on the ground with local partners to make sure that we can address the challenges we may have or gaps we may have from either a local language perspective or certain nuances with regards to either culture, religion, and so on that may be very unique to an area or a region, to make sure that we have a proper understanding of what risk there may be that may be exacerbated by our platforms, and then we get the right collaboration around those to be able to address them. So I think I will pause there, but then I’m happy to expand a little further when I have a chance to speak a little more, but I thank you for the opportunity. Thank you very much.

Moderator: So we take the last intervention in this panel, and we’ll be inviting Dr. Nomalanga to simply tell us from a legal point of view, what legal frameworks will be useful to ensure that government and the governed actually use the social media platforms responsibly, safely, and ethically to ensure a smooth governance process in Africa? Thank you, Desmond. And this is very brief because we’re running against time.

Speaker 8: Thank you, Desmond. I think one of the important things that we need to understand is something that Cisco recently reported, which is that cyber attacks, and sometimes committed through social media platforms, account for a 10% drop in Africa’s GDP as a whole, which in monetary terms results in billions of money, billions of dollars that are lost in our GDP. And I think There are two main points that I just want to briefly make here regarding legal framework in order to provide safe and resilient social media use in governance. The one is a participatory approach. I do think that a number of African governments have adopted a mere one-way communicative approach in using social media to reach out to people. We saw this even in the election season. We don’t really see a participatory mechanism where conversations flow both ways. And this results in opportunists, particularly fraudsters on social media, taking the opportunity to communicate very important but also misinformed or disinformed news to the communities that the government itself or other governmental organizations should be communicating. I also think one of the other ways, in addition to a participatory approach, is a collaborative one between government and industry. For example, in South Africa, we are starting to see some policy and legislative interventions and contributions coming from the Association on Comms and Technology, which basically is made up of different information and communications technology companies such as South Sea, MTN, RAIN, etc., coming together with government to create new forms of interventions that actually influence how we should regulate internet access, social media, and the use thereof. So I do think that there is a need for some focus to shift into looking to how we can get citizens involved in the process of lawmaking and as well as policy. policymaking in this regard. Is that brief enough, Desmond?

Moderator: Yeah, thank you. Thank you very much. Super, super brief. You know, let’s give a round of applause to all the speakers. And you know, one thing I take from the old message, I mean, one message I take from the old discussion is that there is actually a need for a multi-stakeholder approach towards developing an e-governance, or if you like, a digital governance framework in Africa. And of course, no agency would better, you know, galvanize that process than APRM. And I’m hoping that the CEO is taking notes, you know, for the work that needs to be done in the future. I will hand over the mic, my job is done. I will hand over the platform again to Ms. Susan. Thank you very much. Yeah, thank you. Thanks. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks everyone. Thank you very much. All right. Can we, can we please give another round of applause to the panel? Thank you very much for a well-articulated panel. And as they are winding up, I’ll be introducing the last panel for this afternoon. All right. Thank you very much. So I’ll be introducing the last panel for this afternoon, and we’ll be looking at the impact of digital transformation on the future of economic governance and resource management in Africa. At this point in time, allow me to call upon the minister, His Excellency, the Minister of Information of the Republic of Gambia, who will come to talk to us about leveraging digital transformation for Africa’s economic governance and resource management. Please, a round of applause.

Speaker 9: Good evening, everyone. My Excellency, Ambassador Marie Antoinette Rose Quattro, Chief Executive Officer of the African PREV Mechanism, good evening, Excellencies, distinguished personalities here present today. It gives me great pleasure to be here today and a very big privilege to give a speech, a brief one though, on leveraging digital transformation for Africa’s economic governance and resource management. As Africa enters the digital age, the continent faces a historic opportunity to transform its economic governance and resource management. Through the strategic adoption of digital technologies, Africa can address many of the challenges it faces, from inefficiency in the public service or public administration and e-government through various programs, such as the Gambia National Digital Transformation Policy 2021-2025, which aims to enhance digital infrastructure and services across all sectors. In addition, as part of our drive for digital transformation, we have started initiatives to support economic governance. We are making efforts to digitize government through e-government services, and this is growing, including online portals for tax collection, business registration, and public service delivery. For example, the Gambia Revenue Authority, which’s mandate is to collect revenue for the government, has introduced… digital tax platforms to streamline tax collection, reduce corruption and improve efficiency in government revenue management. That is why recently the government has done a lot in our local government funds, exceeding the target that was set for this year. We’re also about to launch the digital identity systems to improve service delivery and ensure that citizens can access social services and financial resources, especially in remote areas. When it comes to resource management, digital tools offer unparalleled potential. Africa’s vast agricultural sector can benefit from technologies like mobile apps, GPS-based farming solutions and drone surveillance. These innovations enable farmers to increase productivity, optimise water usage and adapt to the challenges of climate change. Similarly, digital technologies like Internet of Things, sensors and blockchains are helping to monitor and manage Africa’s natural resources, ensuring sustainability and curbing illegal activities like poaching and deforestation. One of the most promising areas of digital transformation is financial inclusion, with mobile money platforms proliferating across the continent. Millions of Africans who were once excluded from the financial system now have access to banking, saving and lending services. This promotes economic growth, reduces poverty and helps build more resilient communities. However, for Africa to fully realise the benefits of digital transformation, we must tackle key challenges, and these include but are not limited to improving digital infrastructure, bridging the digital divide between urban and rural areas, between male and female as well, and across generations, and investing in digital literacy and cyber security. These investments will ensure that digital transformation reaches all corners of the continent and benefits every African citizen. Africa’s digital future is bright. By leveraging digital transformation, we can revolutionize economic governance, optimize resource management, and create a more inclusive and sustainable future for all Africans. Thank you.

Moderator: Thank you Honorable Minister for your remarks and indeed Africa’s future is bright. At this point in time, allow me to call on my panelists. I’d like to call upon Dr. Uyuyo Edosio, who is the Principal Innovation and Digital Experts at AFDB in Côte d’Ivoire. Okay, we may be facing some technical challenges, but I will then move on to Mr. Adeyinka Adeyemi, who is the Director General of Africa e-Governance Conference Initiative in Rwanda. Please give him a round of applause.

Speaker 10: Thank you very much. As we have run out of time, we only have three minutes and I hope I can ask you to help us deliver a huge task in in the three minutes. My question to you is, in what ways can digital transformation enhance economic governance and accountability within African nations? Right, so we can do this in two minutes. At the Africa e-Governance Conference Initiative, what we do is to promote e-governance. And I’d like to just, if I go to that question, to just say that the future of governance in Africa is actually e-governance, which is what everybody have said in different ways. So to promote e-governance in Africa or digital transformation, and some of the values have been mentioned, but for me, a lot would have to do with how it enables decision-making. Obviously, there are data-driven systems and infrastructure that aids decision-making across Africa using digital means. There’s also the value creation for sectors like agriculture, for instance. The minister from Gambia did mention a couple of things. So what we have done across Africa is to work with the agencies that promote digital transformation because we see a lot of value in the nexus or the relationship between digital or e-governance and the sectors. If you go to education, if you go to finance, which also has been mentioned, there’s just a lot of things that are happening across Africa. But there’s more to come if we have the enabling laws and frameworks. If we have the, I don’t know if you can hear me. If you have the enabling laws and frameworks in place, and if a lot of the African countries can ensure that they follow those roadmaps that have been created across Africa, and just make sure that we do. what is right, physically.

Moderator: Thank you very much, sir. Please, a round of applause. I am Uyuyo, Dr. Uyuyo is online. Can you hear us? Yes, I can. I am, apologies. I wasn’t granted access to unmute my mic nor my videos. All right, it’s okay. We have come towards the end of our program and you have three minutes to respond to one question. And I would like you to share with us what do you think are some of the strategies that African governments can use to adopt, I’m so sorry, I’ll come back again. What strategies can African governments adopt to harness the benefits of digital transformation while ensuring the resilience of SOEs? Thank you.

Speaker 11: Thank you very much for that question. And really, apologies, I cannot be with you in rehab. Really, back to your question what can African governments use to really harness the full potential of digitalization? It’s in two ways, I’ll come to the answer in two ways. First, there is a supply side, right? And it’s been said across this conference, underlying infrastructure. There is no digital transformation without underlying infrastructure. And the first being that is good connectivity. So if Africa has made progress in terms of mobile connections, at least 88% of Africa is covered by from 2G. If you look upwards, you’ll see this coverage. some way, somewhat, some part. That’s great because with 2G, you know you can make more, I mean 2G, 3G, you can make good mobile phone connections and calls. But if you’re looking at critical connectivity to contribute to the AI age, you need to be backed by fiber backhaul or some sort of very strong connectivity back and base so that you can contribute. And many of our African countries, we still are suffering from lack of quality infrastructure. Another thing is the affordability of this internet. Although I know that the prices of internet is definitely driven by the forces of demand and supply, but we need to think about this critical and how we use our universal service funds to really make connectivity affordable, especially for those that need it the most. So when you look at those critical infrastructure in terms of connectivity, you’ll see that that’s one of the backbones of digital transformation. On the back of that, I will build that the government needs to digitize more of their government services. Now the reason for this is that the more we digitize government services and provide e-government services such like digital birth certificates or digital IDs, bank identity, you’re generating data of your citizen. And this AI generation and this more so data-driven generation depends on data. Now what’s happening is that Africa generates the least data across the whole continent. And the fact remains that if we have little data, then we have little representation. So it’s no worry when you read AI models and you read AI tools and they’re not able to recognize some black faces or some languages. We still even have a very long way to go on our local language models. I mean, Africa is a unique continent of diverse language skills. But if we look at how much recordings we have just in local languages, alone, you will see that it’s minute. Now, if we set that infrastructure, underlying infrastructure in place, the next thing the government would have to do is to build their human capital, because it’s one thing to supply infrastructure, it’s one thing to build good government services that people can access, but if people don’t have the skills, how would they use it? How would, not just even using it, how would they contribute to this digital age? Because the aim is not just for Africa to be consumers, but to also be… Hello, are you still there? It appears that… But this is one percent, there’s so much more that we could leverage, can you hear me? Yes, we can. You have to wind up, because we are really running short of time, and we had lost you a little bit there. You can go. No worries. So, on the supply side, I would say the government really needs to focus on providing critical infrastructure, infrastructure being both soft and hard, underlying connectivity and also service layers that build on top of that to make citizens want to consume. Now, on the demand side, I would say we need to build critical skills, and digital skills range from basic, intermediate and advanced, so that we know that at every sphere we are training people, because literacy, digital literacy is no longer a luxury, it’s actually right now a human right, because the future of the world will be those who are digitally literate or not, and those who are digitally connected or not. That’s the future bias. In fact, I’m saying future, but it’s actually the present bias. So, that’s how I’ll summarize it for my intervention.

Moderator: Thank you so much for your intervention. Please, a round of applause, and thank you very much for joining us. I will pass on to you. So, in just one minute, I’d like to say that One of the critical things we need to do across Africa, and this is very clear from our work in Rwanda and in Zambia, is what we call the model adaptation, where you see models that are working in some parts of Africa that needs to be introduced and adapted in other parts. And I’m talking about e-governance models. I mean, Rwanda has a fantastic model that is supported by GIZ. GIZ actually is working with Irembo in Rwanda, and that works. The question is, why can we not adapt that model in other countries? So governments need to be more open where you have those interventions, especially from development partners, as in the case of Rwanda. There’s also what Zambia is doing with the Smart Zambia initiative that can be replicated in other parts of Africa. We don’t always need to reinvent, to start from scratch. We can reinvent the wheel across Africa, and that gives us a perfect solution. Thank you. Thank you very much. Please give my panelists a round of applause. Thank you very, very much. You all have been wonderful. Thank you for staying with us. And we apologize for the short time that we had to conclude. At this point, allow me to invite Ambassador Sala again to the podium. Thank you.

Salah Siddiq Hamad: Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. You can hear me? Fantastic. Well, we are coming to the end of this workshop. Before we depart this room, I think it’s quite important that we recommit ourselves as Africans to this very important cause. We’ve been hearing that this connectivity and the advancement of technology is no longer a luxury thing, but in fact it’s a human right thing that we need to advance as such. And without advancing technology, we would not be able to build the Africa we want and the Africa we deserve. The Africa that is prosperous, united and peaceful. With that, I hope we will all go back to share this information that we gained and learned today within our networks, but also of course without the support and the political commitment of our member states and here represented by the able permanent representative of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and of course also from Algeria. And all other member states that are with us here this afternoon, I hope your political support will always be there to advance these very important processes. Before we officially close the meeting by the announcement by the CAO, I would like to invite you all to come here to the stage for a group photo and then the meeting will be declared officially closed by Her Excellency, the CAO of IPRM, Madam.

Agreement Points

Importance of digital infrastructure for governance

Salah Siddig Hammad

Ismaila Ceesay

Uyuyo Edosio

Technology alone is not sufficient; infrastructure and awareness are also needed

Digital tools offer potential for improved resource management in agriculture and natural resources

Importance of underlying infrastructure and connectivity for digital transformation

Multiple speakers emphasized the critical role of robust digital infrastructure in enabling effective digital governance and resource management in Africa.

Need for digital skills development

Ismaila Ceesay

Uyuyo Edosio

Importance of addressing the digital divide and investing in digital literacy

Need for building digital skills across basic, intermediate, and advanced levels

Speakers agreed on the importance of investing in digital literacy and skills development across all levels to ensure widespread adoption and effective use of digital technologies in governance.

Importance of legal frameworks and data protection

Nasir Aminu

Selma Bakhta Mansouri

Nomalanga Mashinini

Need for a continent-wide data protection authority

Importance of cybersecurity and data protection for trust in digital governance

Need for legal frameworks to ensure responsible use of social media platforms

Multiple speakers highlighted the need for robust legal frameworks and data protection measures to ensure trust, security, and responsible use of digital technologies in governance.

Similar Viewpoints

Both speakers emphasized the importance of content moderation and community standards on social media platforms to maintain the integrity of online discourse, especially during elections.

Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi

Mercy Ndegwa

Implementation of content moderation policies and fact-checking partnerships

Importance of self-regulation and community standards for social media users

Both speakers advocated for collaborative approaches in developing governance frameworks for digital technologies, emphasizing the need for cooperation between government, industry, and international stakeholders.

Nomalanga Mashinini

Jimena Sofía Viveros Álvarez

Need for participatory and collaborative approaches between government and industry

Necessity of a unified global governance approach for AI and emerging technologies

Unexpected Consensus

Global approach to AI governance

Jimena Sofía Viveros Álvarez

Nasir Aminu

Necessity of a unified global governance approach for AI and emerging technologies

Need for a continent-wide data protection authority

While focusing on different scales (global vs. continental), both speakers unexpectedly agreed on the need for unified governance structures for emerging technologies and data protection, highlighting a shared recognition of the transboundary nature of digital challenges.

Overall Assessment

Summary

The main areas of agreement included the importance of digital infrastructure, the need for digital skills development, and the significance of legal frameworks and data protection in digital governance. There was also consensus on the role of content moderation and collaborative approaches in developing governance frameworks.

Consensus level

There was a moderate to high level of consensus among speakers on key issues related to digital governance in Africa. This consensus suggests a shared understanding of the challenges and opportunities presented by digital transformation in governance, which could facilitate more coordinated efforts in policy development and implementation across the continent.

Different Viewpoints

Approach to AI governance

Jimena Sofía Viveros Álvarez

Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi

Necessity of a unified global governance approach for AI and emerging technologies

Implementation of content moderation policies and fact-checking partnerships

Jimena Sofía Viveros Álvarez advocates for a global approach to AI governance, while Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi focuses on national-level content moderation policies and partnerships.

Focus of digital transformation efforts

Ismaila Ceesay

Christina Duarte

Leveraging digital tools for financial inclusion and economic growth

Requirement for strong state institutions to control economic and financial tools

Ismaila Ceesay emphasizes the use of digital tools for financial inclusion, while Christina Duarte stresses the need for strong state institutions to control economic tools.

Unexpected Differences

Overall Assessment

summary

The main areas of disagreement revolve around the approach to AI governance, the focus of digital transformation efforts, and the methods for regulating social media platforms.

difference_level

The level of disagreement among the speakers is moderate. While there are differences in approaches and focus areas, there is a general consensus on the importance of digital transformation and the need for governance frameworks. These differences reflect the complexity of implementing digital governance in Africa and highlight the need for a multifaceted approach that considers various perspectives and local contexts.

Partial Agreements

All speakers agree on the need for regulation of social media platforms, but differ in their approaches. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi focuses on content moderation and fact-checking, Mercy Ndegwa emphasizes self-regulation and community standards, while Nomalanga Mashinini advocates for collaborative approaches between government and industry.

Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi

Mercy Ndegwa

Nomalanga Mashinini

Implementation of content moderation policies and fact-checking partnerships

Importance of self-regulation and community standards for social media users

Need for participatory and collaborative approaches between government and industry

Similar Viewpoints

Both speakers emphasized the importance of content moderation and community standards on social media platforms to maintain the integrity of online discourse, especially during elections.

Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi

Mercy Ndegwa

Implementation of content moderation policies and fact-checking partnerships

Importance of self-regulation and community standards for social media users

Both speakers advocated for collaborative approaches in developing governance frameworks for digital technologies, emphasizing the need for cooperation between government, industry, and international stakeholders.

Nomalanga Mashinini

Jimena Sofía Viveros Álvarez

Need for participatory and collaborative approaches between government and industry

Necessity of a unified global governance approach for AI and emerging technologies

Key Takeaways

Digital technologies offer significant potential to enhance governance, democratic engagement, and resource management in Africa

Challenges remain around digital infrastructure, literacy, and the digital divide that need to be addressed

A multi-stakeholder approach involving governments, tech companies, civil society and international partners is needed for effective digital governance

Legal and ethical frameworks, including data protection and cybersecurity measures, are crucial for building trust in digital governance

Digital transformation can improve economic governance through e-government services, financial inclusion, and data-driven decision making

Resolutions and Action Items

APRM to advocate for establishment of a continent-wide data protection authority

African governments to invest in digital infrastructure and literacy

Tech companies to implement content moderation policies and fact-checking partnerships

African nations to adopt and implement the African Digital Compact and Continental AI Strategy

Unresolved Issues

How to effectively bridge the digital divide between urban and rural areas

Balancing innovation with regulation of emerging technologies like AI

Addressing potential misuse of digital tools for misinformation or election interference

Ensuring equitable access to digital resources and skills across demographics

Suggested Compromises

Balancing government regulation with industry self-regulation of digital platforms

Adapting successful e-governance models from some African countries to others

Leveraging public-private partnerships to accelerate digital infrastructure development

Africa, as we all know, has been going through a lot of challenges, even before independence, slavery, colonialism, and now civil wars in many African countries, apartheid in the Southern African region, and you name it. so many challenges. So therefore, the advancement of good governance is absolutely one of the ultimate objectives that we need to reach before we proceed with the implementation of Agenda 2063, the blueprint for Africa, for building the Africa we want and the Africa we deserve.

speaker

Salah Siddig Hammad

reason

This comment provides important historical context for the governance challenges facing Africa and frames the discussion in terms of long-term development goals.

impact

It set the tone for the discussion by emphasizing the importance of good governance as a prerequisite for Africa’s development agenda. This framing influenced subsequent speakers to consider both historical challenges and future aspirations.

The colonial state that we narrate had essentially two primary functions. Enforcing the rule of law. door to maintain colonial order, normal, logical. Second, resource extraction to serve, as I said, economic interests of these external powers. So this extractive and minimalist model of governance lacks mechanisms for cost-inclusive economic growth, social equity, and long-term development.

speaker

Christina Duarte

reason

This comment provides a critical analysis of the historical roots of governance challenges in Africa, highlighting how colonial structures were not designed for inclusive development.

impact

It deepened the conversation by encouraging participants to consider how historical legacies continue to impact governance in Africa. This historical perspective informed subsequent discussions on the need for transformative approaches to governance.

We need governance that is resilient, that is techno-neutral in order for it to be adaptive to the evolution of the technology itself which is extremely fast-paced and that needs to be generalistic because we cannot separate, it’s dual use by nature, right?

speaker

Jimena Sofía Viveros Álvarez

reason

This comment introduces the important concept of techno-neutral governance, highlighting the need for adaptable and flexible governance frameworks in the face of rapidly evolving technology.

impact

It shifted the discussion towards considering more holistic and forward-looking approaches to governance that can accommodate technological change. This perspective influenced subsequent comments on the need for strategic and adaptive governance models.

Digital literacy is no longer a luxury, it’s actually right now a human right, because the future of the world will be those who are digitally literate or not, and those who are digitally connected or not.

speaker

Uyuyo Edosio

reason

This comment reframes digital literacy as a human right, emphasizing its critical importance in the modern world.

impact

It elevated the urgency of addressing digital literacy and connectivity, influencing the discussion to consider these as fundamental rights rather than optional benefits. This perspective shaped subsequent comments on the need for inclusive digital transformation strategies.

Overall Assessment

These key comments shaped the discussion by providing historical context, highlighting the need for transformative and adaptive governance models, and emphasizing the critical importance of digital literacy and connectivity. They encouraged participants to consider both the historical challenges and future aspirations of African governance, while also emphasizing the urgent need for inclusive and forward-looking digital transformation strategies. The discussion evolved from a focus on past challenges to a more strategic consideration of how to leverage technology for inclusive governance and development in Africa.

How to establish a continent-wide data protection authority for Africa

speaker

Nasir Aminu

explanation

This would provide unified oversight, enforce consistent data protection standards, and ensure ethical use of technology across the continent

How to address the digital divide between urban and rural areas, males and females, and across generations in Africa

speaker

Minister of Information of the Republic of Gambia

explanation

Bridging these divides is crucial for ensuring digital transformation benefits all African citizens

How to increase Africa’s data generation and representation in AI models

speaker

Dr. Uyuyo Edosio

explanation

Africa generates the least data globally, leading to underrepresentation in AI models and tools

How to develop and implement local language models for African languages

speaker

Dr. Uyuyo Edosio

explanation

There is currently very little data and few models for Africa’s diverse languages

How to adapt and replicate successful e-governance models across different African countries

speaker

Adeyinka Adeyemi

explanation

Successful models like Rwanda’s Irembo and Zambia’s Smart Zambia initiative could be adapted for use in other African countries

How to ensure political support and commitment from African member states for advancing technological processes

speaker

Salah Siddig Hammad

explanation

Political support is crucial for implementing and advancing technological initiatives across Africa