The African Academic Network on Internet policy, Data protection experts advocating for a legal framework for the protection of personal data in Africa has warned that there is no security in the Africa Web.
The experts stated this during a two-day conference held at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Ibadan.
Mrs Nnenna Nwakanma, Senior Policy Manager, World Wide Web Foundation said that the vision of the foundation ( WWWF) is that everyone should have access and benefit from opportunities of the Web since the technology platform is the most innovative since human beings existed.
She called on users to understand that data content is actually the power house of digital economy but the bigger economy is the personal data because the personal data can be used to tailor or market an individual.
‘’Just as the saying that the one who has data is like the one who has land in those days, whoever has data has wealth, it is scramble for data at the moment, ‘she said.
She however warned that any information about a user on the web could be bought and sold and it could also hurt if not properly handled, both by the data handlers and data providers. She stated that while the fight for data protection could help with protection of personal details supplied within the country, users have very limited control over the information they supply on websites and social media sites.
Mrs Nwakanma frowned at posting and sharing of very personal details on social media sites as they could be hacked and used by criminals. According to her, “the internet has a very strong memory. Whatever you post, even if deleted, cannot be retrieved”. She however pointed out that the advantages of the internet far outweigh the disadvantages.
Other experts who spoke at the event also cautioned African citizens on dangers posed by the internet if immediate measures are not put in place especially enactment of the data protection laws.
Dr. Godfred Frempong from CSIR Science and Technology and Research Institution, Ghana condemned the multiple collections of data by government and private agencies saying it is not healthy.
‘’As business automates, data’s are collected but the question is how are these data’s secured in order not to fall into the hands of fraudsters’’ He said.
He however advocated for a framework at the national level to foresee and adapt minimum standard for adequate protection on personal data.
Mrs Tope Ogundipe, a representative of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria who said that digital security is a key factor in their advocacy revealed that citizens’ data are regularly collected by countries across Africa without appropriate legal structure upon which such activities could be predicated.
‘’Data subjects are the losers therefore, data protection law should be put in place to check the adaption, implementation and compliance and this law should be looked at as human right law,’’ she said.
Dr Tunji Olaopa, executive vice-chairman of Ibadan School of Governance and Public Policy, ISGPP said that Africa being the heart of global economy will not relent in making sure that data protection law is just enacted but also implemented.
He applauded the success recorded in the conference and said that the next line of action is for the network to involve more stakeholders in further discourse and create platform for formal engagement and training of people and designing knowledge packs.
Several representatives came from other African countries including, Nigeria, South Africa, Mauritius, Kenya, Ghana, Ivory Coast, amongst others.