The Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has emphasized the need for stakeholders in the digital industry to collaborate in shaping the future of Ghana and Africa’s digital landscape.
She made this call during the opening of a two-day National Data Centre and Cloud Computing Regulatory Framework Validation workshop in Accra.
According to Mrs Owusu-Ekuful, the development of a framework to govern different types of data (Data in Transit, Data at Rest, and Data in Use) is crucial to ensure security and proper storage.
Highlighting Ghana’s efforts in digitizing its economy, she noted the country’s position as one of the leaders in driving the digital agenda on the continent. She stressed the increasing importance of data as the lifeblood of the fourth Industrial Revolution, emphasizing the need for a strategic framework to govern the industry’s development.
In line with this, Ms Thelma Efua Quaye, Director – Digital Infrastructure, Skills, and Empowerment of Smart Africa, explained that the lack of harmonized regulations across the African continent poses a significant challenge for investors and service providers in the data center and cloud space. To address this, Smart Africa has adopted a phased approach to support member states in developing national regulatory frameworks for data centers and cloud computing services.
Mr Richard Okyere-Fosu, Director General of NITA, emphasized the Agency’s plans to roll out specific regulations aiming to improve the quality of service, align Ghana’s ecosystem with international standards, and protect consumers. He assured stakeholders of a business-enabling regulatory approach to stimulate the market and sustain Ghana’s digital revolution infrastructure.
Overall, the collaborative effort of stakeholders in shaping the digital landscape of the nation and the continent as a whole was emphasized, with a keen focus on data governance, security, and regulatory frameworks.
