The National Commissioner/CEO of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) Dr. Vincent Olatunji has called on African nations to harmonise data protection frameworks to bridge the continent’s “critical readiness gaps” in Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Speaking at the Smartcomply Kenya Launch and Executive Breakfast Meeting in Nairobi, Dr. Olatunji delivered a keynote address titled, “The Horizon: Shaping Africa’s AI and Cyber Frontier.”
He highlighted the explosive growth of the global AI market—projected to reach $1.81 trillion by 2030, noting that while “the economic potential is vast, Africa faces significant hurdles.”
Dr. Olatunji pointed out infrastructure deficiency, skill shortages, data quality and scarcity, funding constraints, as well as policy fragmentation and regulatory gaps as some of the issues facing Africa.
He spoke on trust deficit, data protection and privacy as the foundation of trust, why data protection matters in the AI era, the strategic imperatives of shaping Africa’s AI and cyber frontier, as well as the role of players in the ecosystem.
During a fireside chat on “Building Digital Trust at Scale,” Dr. Olatunji shared lessons from Nigeria’s data protection journey. He emphasised that trust is the foundation of any digital economy, asserting that compliance with privacy laws is not merely about avoiding fines but protecting a business’s reputation and longevity.
He said; “Data protection and privacy are the foundation of trust. Africa must work together to build mutual understanding for global competitiveness, particularly regarding cross-border data transfers.”
Dr Olatunji concluded by urging all African countries to work together to build trust and mutual understanding for global competitiveness, especially in the area of cross-border transfer of data.