Promoting Effective and Inclusive ICT Policy in Africa

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25Apr

CIPESA at DRIF25: Here is where you can find us!

Author CIPESA Posted on

DRIF25 |

From April 29 to May 1, 2025, Paradigm Initiative will host the Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF25) in Lusaka, Zambia, where it will bring together a diverse community to explore key questions around access, power, and participation in the digital age. As a regular contributor and participant of DRIF, this year, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) looks forward to participating in multiple workshops and sessions across the three-day event, engaging on themes that reflect our continued commitment to promoting inclusive and effective use of ICT in Africa for improved governance and livelihoods.

We look forward to hosting a session on tech accountability while also joining sessions hosted by various partners including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN OHCHR), Atlantic Council, Meta, African Digital Rights Network (ADRN), Fundación Karisma, SocialTIC, TEDIC, Tech & Media Convergency (TMC) and Rudi International.

Additionally, CIPESA will manage a digital resilience walk-in clinic/helpdesk where participants can get their digital devices assessed. Alongside CIPESA will be Digital Defenders Partnership,  Digital Society of Africa, Defenders Protection Initiative, Derechos Digitales and Thraets. This compliments CIPESA digital resilience efforts  including through a continuous needs assessment running for organisations across Africa.

To Moderate or Not to Moderate: Enhancing Tech-Accountability on the Internet

Room 6 | April 30 | 10:20 AM – 11:20 AM
Host: CIPESA
This session will delve into the urgent need for effective online content moderation to ensure a healthy, safe, and inclusive digital arena. Discussions will explore the growing calls for greater tech accountability, particularly in addressing the harms caused by misinformation and disinformation increasingly amplified by Artificial Intelligence (AI). Panelists will examine the balance between protecting users from harmful content and upholding community standards, enhancing user experience, safeguarding brand reputation, and ensuring compliance with national and international legal frameworks.

Strengthening Rights-Respecting Content Governance through South-South Collaboration: Trends and Opportunities in Africa and Latin America

Room 1 | April 29 | 12:10 PM – 1:10 PM
Host: UN OHCHR
This session will explore the potential for shared strategies and cooperation between Africa and Latin America in shaping content governance frameworks that respect rights and reflect regional realities. The session will examine opportunities for a South-South cooperation on rights-respecting content governance with focus on Africa and Latin America (LATAM). It will explore key trends, lessons, and tactics on rights-respecting content governance in both regions, collaboration and resource disparities in content governance between Global North and South-South systems.

Tech, Power, and Governance: The Policy Landscape in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, and Zambia

Room 5 | April 30 | 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Host: Atlantic Council
This panel takes a closer look at the fast-changing AI and digital policy environments in leading African countries, unpacking governance models, legislative shifts, and national strategies shaping the continent’s tech future. The session is based upon a report by the Digital Forensic Research (DFR) Lab, which explores how five African countries—South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, and Zambia—are strategically navigating the governance of new technologies to enrich their citizens’ lives while mitigating potential risks. It focuses on three key technology domains, namely: connectivity, digital public infrastructure, and artificial intelligence (AI). The session aims to help identify advocacy opportunities that unite activists and experts from different countries across the African continent.

Open or Closed? Exploring the Implications of Open Source vs. Proprietary AI Systems in Africa

Room 1 | April 30 | 4:10 PM – 5:10 PM
Host: Meta
The use of AI technology is increasingly prevalent in Africa, with both open-source and proprietary systems being employed to address various social, economic, and environmental challenges. However, the choice between these two approaches has significant implications for human rights and ethics, particularly in the context of data ownership, surveillance, and digital divide. The aim of this panel is to facilitate a discussion on the human rights and ethical implications of open source and proprietary systems in Africa, with a focus on exploring the benefits and challenges of each approach.

Defining and Theorising Digital Rights: As Entitlements, as a Framework, and as a Movement

Room 4 | May 1, | 9:50 AM – 10:50 AM
Host: African Digital Rights Network (ADRN)
A deep dive into what “digital rights” means across different contexts, this session aims to develop a shared language and theoretical grounding to strengthen advocacy across the continent. This is important as the term is used to mean a range of different things by different people. Digital rights can be understood as a set of legal entitlements but also as a framework for evaluating technologies, projects and policies or as a form of collective action to address technology-related injustices. This sessions asks what different meanings of digital rights exist, whether it matters, and whether digital rights should be an end in themselves or a means to an end.

Leveraging Civil Society’s Capacities in Adopting Open-Source Monitoring Technologies for Early Digital Threat Detection

Room 4 | May 1, | 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Host: Fundación Karisma, SocialTIC, TEDIC, and CIPESA
In this session, the Blue Team tools project will be presented. It is an initiative aimed at  leveraging civil societies’ capacities in adopting open-source monitoring technologies for early digital threat detections, such as equipment surveillance and network monitoring, among others. By presenting the implementation case studies in Latin America, the session will shed light on the difficulties of adopting surveillance monitoring technologies by already under-resourced grass-root organisations and draw parallels between the opportunities and challenges of both Latin American and African organisations in adopting said technologies.

Digital Ubuntu: Empowering African CSOs with Practical and Inclusive Skills to Build Strong Digital Rights Organisations

Room 3 | May 1, | 8:40 – 9:40 AM
Host:  Tech & Media Convergency (TMC) & Rudi International
The workshop aims to support emerging civil society organisations with practical skills in order to help them build strong institutions as they work to build sustainable and inclusive digital rights advocacy in the Global South. This full-day workshop will bring together both seasoned and emerging digital rights advocates to explore solutions for promoting digital justice.

Central to the workshop is Digital Ubuntu, a philosophy rooted in interconnectedness, shared responsibility, and community-oriented solutions, fostering collective responsibility among governmental, non-governmental, and civil society actors.

All sessions will take place at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre.

22Apr

The Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa 2025 (FIFAfrica25) Heads to Namibia!

Author CIPESA Posted on

FIFAfrica |

The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) is pleased to announce the 12th edition of the annual Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (#FIFAfrica25)—the continent’s leading platform for shaping digital rights, inclusion, and governance conversations. This year, the Forum is headed to Windhoek, Namibia, a beacon of press freedom, gender equity, and progressive jurisprudence, and will take place on September 24–26, 2025.

Namibia ranks highest in Africa on global press freedom indices and is equally highly ranked on the Freedom in the World index, where it is categorised as Free. In 2025, it made history with women at the helm of the Presidency, Vice Presidency, and National Assembly, a key moment for gender inclusion and in the country’s political landscape. The country has made considerable efforts to uphold public rights such as through rejecting efforts by the Central Intelligence Service to block reporting on corruption; ruling  against the unconstitutional collection of telecom revenue, and reinforcing legal safeguards in digital regulation. While outdated laws still pose challenges and a data protection bill is pending, Namibia is actively updating its legal frameworks.

It is against this backdrop that FIFAfrica25 will delve into the evolving digital landscape in Africa and cast a light on the most pressing internet freedom issues today. The Forum offers a unique, multi-stakeholder platform where key stakeholders, including policymakers, journalists, global platform operators, telecommunications companies, regulators, human rights defenders, academia, and law enforcement representatives convene to deliberate and craft rights-based responses for a resilient and inclusive digital society for Africans.

As digital technologies shape Africa’s political, economic, and social landscape, safeguarding digital rights is essential to building inclusive, participatory, and democratic societies. Key themes at FIFAfrica25 will include:

  • AI, Digital Governance, and Human Rights
  • Disinformation and Platform Accountability
  • Internet Shutdowns
  • Digital Inclusion
  • Digital Trade in Africa
  • Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)
  • Digital Safety and Resilience

The Forum will also serve to gather insights that will shape Africa’s voice in global digital governance processes like WSIS+20 and the Global Digital Compact. These global processes represent critical opportunities for African voices to influence the emerging digital and AI governance agendas. Additionally, the 2025 edition of the annual State of Internet Freedom in Africa report will be launched.

Get Involved with FIFAfrica25

Over the years, the Forum has been co-hosted with various government ministries, regional and national partners, and a vibrant network of collaborators. Together, this community have made FIFAfrica come alive over the years and illustrated a commitment towards building an inclusive digital rights ecosystem. This network of actors committed to have also supported the growth and evolution of the Forum. 

Partner with us, host a side event, or support the participation of individuals who might otherwise be unable to attend the Forum. See more about becoming an ally or supporter here.

About FIFAfrica

FIFAfrica25 will be the third edition to be hosted in Southern Africa. Previous editions have been hosted in Uganda, South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia, Zambia, Tanzania and Senegal. The Forum objectives include the following:

  1. Enhance Networking and Collaboration: Provide a platform that assembles African thought leaders and networks working on internet freedom from diverse stakeholder groups.
  2. Promote Access To Information: Since its inception, FIFAfrica has commemorated September 28, the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI), creating awareness about access to information offline and online and its connection to wider freedoms and democratic participation.
  3. Practical Skills and Knowledge Development: The Forum features pre-event practical training workshops for various stakeholders on a range of internet freedom issues, including technical aspects of internet access, policy developments, digital resilience, and advocacy strategies.
  4. Showcase Advocacy Efforts: Provide a space for entities advancing digital rights to showcase their work through artistic installations, photography, reports, interactive platforms and physical stalls with organisational representatives.
  5. Connect Research to Policy Discussions: The annual State of Internet Freedom in Africa report, a themed report produced by CIPESA, has been launched at FIFAfrica since 2014. The report has served to inform policy and advocacy efforts around the continent.
  6. Strategic Networks: Serve as a platform for strategic meetings to be held, offering various African and global networks the opportunity to directly engage with each other and with the extended digital rights community.
22Apr

A Tribute to FIFAfrica’s Allies and Supporters

Author CIPESA Posted on

FIFAfrica |

Since its inception in 2014, the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) has grown to become the continent’s leading assembly of actors instrumental in shaping conversations on digital rights, data governance, digital inclusion, and the intersection of technology with society and the economy. It has become the stage for concerted efforts to advance digital rights.

Built upon a multi-stakeholder model on internet governance, the Forum places a free, open and secure internet directly on the agendas of key stakeholders, including policymakers, journalists, activists, global platform operators, telecommunications companies, regulators, human rights defenders, academia, and law enforcement.

At the heart of the Forum is an ecosystem of organisations that have, over the years, stood alongside the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) in its pursuit of effective and inclusive digital governance in Africa.

We appreciate and honour the support, partnership, and solidarity of the institutions, foundations, development agencies, and networks that have made FIFAfrica come alive from its earliest editions hosted in Kampala to more recent convenings across South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia, Zambia, Tanzania, and Senegal. These supporters have offered resources, strategic insights, and co-created platforms for engagement in addition to supporting the participation of an extended community of actors key to advancing internet freedom in Africa. Additionally, their contributions have supported research, advocacy, community mobilisation, skill-building, and policy engagement not only at the Forum but also across the continent through the work of CIPESA.

The allies and supporters of FIFAfrica have helped create safe spaces for human rights defenders, technologists, policymakers, and researchers to connect and collaborate. It also serves to elevate underrepresented voices, particularly those of women, vulnerable, and marginalised communities. It has created platforms for discourse and pushback against internet shutdowns, online harassment, digital exclusion, and surveillance.

Meet the Allies and Supporters of FIFAfrica Over the Years

Partners in Co-Hosting and Groundwork

FIFAfrica has also benefited immensely from regional and national partners, as well as government ministries that have joined hands to co-host the Forum. These partnerships have helped localise the Forum and build greater awareness with the host country and beyond. Partners have included:

FIFAfrica is in a constant state of evolution and has grown from an assembly of just 80 attendees to well over 500 participants at the most recent Forum in Dakar.

Join the community of Allies and Supporters

From all of us at CIPESA, THANK YOU for being part of this movement. We look forward to strengthening our collaborations and welcoming new allies as we continue evolving the Forum in response to the change digital landscape.

Interested in supporting or partnering for FIFAfrica25? Here is a form to guide you on joining the community of allies and supporters.

15Apr

Why It’s Not Yet Uhuru for Artificial Intelligence in Africa and What To Do About It

Author CIPESA Posted on

By CIPESA Writer |

At the first Global Summit on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Africa in Kigali, Rwanda earlier this month, it was evident that African countries are hugely lagging behind the rest of the world in developing and utilising AI. Also clear was that if the continent makes the right investments today, it stands to reap considerable benefits.

The challenges Africa faces were well-articulated at the summit that brought together 2,000 participants from 97 countries, as were the solutions. Some important steps were taken, such as issuance of the Africa Declaration on Artificial Intelligence that aims to mobilise USD 60 billion for the prospective Africa AI Fund, the unveiling of the Gates Foundation investment in AI Scaling Labs in four African countries, announcement of the Cassava AI Factory that is said to be Africa’s first AI-enabled data centre, and endorsement of the Africa Artificial Intelligence Council.

Just Where Does Africa Lie?

Crystal Rugege, Managing Director of the Rwanda Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which hosted the summit, noted that AI could unlock USD 2.9 trillion for Africa’s economy by 2030, thereby lifting 11 million Africans out of poverty and creating 500,000 jobs annually. However, Rugege added, “this will not happen by chance. It requires bold, decisive leadership and collective action.”

Some independent researchers and scholars feel most African countries are not doing enough to stimulate AI innovation and uptake. Indeed, speakers at an independent webinar held on the eve of the Kigali summit criticised the “ambitious prediction” of the USD 2.9 trillion AI dividend for Africa, citing the lack of inclusive AI policy-making, and African countries’ failure to invest in a workforce that is fit for the AI age.

A handful of countries (including Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya, Mauritius, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Rwanda and Zambia) have developed AI Strategies and at least eight others are in the process of doing so, but there is minimal government-funded AI innovation and deployment. Africa receives only a pittance of the global AI funding.

Key Hindrances

The summit was not blind to the key hindrances to AI development and deployment. Africa’s limited computational power (or compute) including a shortage of locally-based data centres was severally cited. Africa holds less than 1% of global data centre capacity, which is insufficient to train and run AI models. Also, while the continent has the world’s youngest population, it is lowly skilled. Moreover, only 5% of the region’s AI talent has access to the computational power and resources needed to carry out complex tasks. Many countries also lack the requisite energy supplies to power sustained AI development. Also, Africa’s 60% mobile internet usage gap is slowing AI adoption and economic growth.

Accordingly, the summit – and the declaration it issued – focussed on how to address these bottlenecks. Recommendations include to focus education systems on Fourth Industrial Revolution skills including to build for and adapt to AI; developing AI infrastructure (innovation labs, data centres, sustainable energy); scaling African AI businesses (including enabling them to access affordable funding); and enhancing AI research.

Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, stressed the need to create a harmonised regulatory environment to enable cross-border AI trade and investment; and to leverage Africa’s rich and diverse datasets to fuel AI innovation and power global AI models.

Important Steps in Kigali
  • The Africa Declaration on Artificial Intelligence builds on the foundational strategies, policies and commitments of the AU (such as its AI Strategy and the Data Policy Framework) and the United Nations. It seeks to develop a comprehensive talent pipeline through AI education and research; establishes frameworks for open, secure and inclusive data governance; provides for deployments of affordable and sustainable computing infrastructure accessible to researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs across Africa; and aims to create supportive ecosystems with regional AI incubation hubs driving innovation and scaling African AI enterprises domestically and globally.

    The Declaration envisages the establishment of a USD 60 billion Africa AI Fund, leveraging public, private, and philanthropic capital. The Fund would invest in developing and expanding AI infrastructure, scaling African AI enterprises, building a robust pipeline of AI practitioners, and strengthening domestic AI research capabilities, while upholding principles of equity and inclusion.
  • The AI Scaling Labs: The Gates Foundation and Rwanda’s Ministry of ICT and Innovation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the Rwanda AI Scaling Hub, in which the foundation will invest USD 7.5 million. It will initially focus on healthcare, agriculture, and education. Over the next 12 months, the foundation plans to establish similar centres in Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal “to break down barriers to scale and help move promising AI innovations to impact.”
  • The Cassava AI Factory: Cassava Technologies announced the Cassava AI Factory, reportedly Africa’s first AI-enabled data centre, powered by NVIDIA accelerated computing. “Building digital infrastructure for the AI economy is a priority if Africa is to take full advantage of the fourth industrial revolution,” said Cassava Founder and Chairman, Strive Masiyiwa. “Our AI Factory provides the infrastructure for this innovation to scale, empowering African businesses, startups and researchers with access to cutting-edge AI infrastructure to turn their bold ideas into real-world breakthroughs – and now, they don’t have to look beyond Africa to get it.”

    By keeping AI infrastructure and data within Africa, Cassava Technologies says it is strengthening the continent’s digital independence, driving local innovation and supporting African AI talent and businesses. Its first deployment in South Africa (in June 2025) will be followed by expansion to Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, and Nigeria.
  • The Africa Artificial Intelligence Council: The Smart Africa Alliance Steering Committee Meeting co-chaired by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Secretary and the AU Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, endorsed the creation of the Council to drive continental coordination on critical AI pillars, including AI computing infrastructure, data sets and data infrastructure development, skills development, market use cases, and governance/policy.
  • Use Cases and Sandboxes: Documentation of tangible use cases and sandboxes that support innovation and regulation is vital in AI development on the continent. On the sidelines of the summit, CIPESA contributed to two co-creation initiatives. The Datasphere Initiative held a Co-creation Lab on the role of AI sandboxes in supporting regulatory innovation and ethical AI governance in Africa. Meanwhile, Qhala hosted a Digital Trade and Regulatory Sandbox session focused on digital health, smartphones, and cross-border trade. Separately, the Rwanda Health Intelligence Centre was unveiled, which enables AI-driven emergency medical services delivery and real-time collection of data on healthcare outcomes in hospitals, thus strengthening evidence-based decision-making.

Ultimately, the AI promise remains high but for it to be realised, the ideas from the Kigali summit must be translated into actions. Countries must stump up funds for research and scaling innovations, support their citizens in acquiring AI-relevant skills, expand internet access and affordability, provide supportive infrastructure, and incentivise foreign investment and technology transfer. Moreover, they should ensure that national laws and regulations promote fair, safe, secure, inclusive and responsible AI, and conform to continental aspirations such as the African Union AI Strategy.

07Apr

Human Rights Implications of Health Care Digitalisation in Kenya

Author CIPESA Posted on

Policy brief |

This policy brief draws on the key findings of a human rights impact assessment of Digital Health Services to make concrete recommendations for a human rights-based digitalisation of health care services in Kenya.

Drawing on a human rights impact assessment conducted in October-November 2024, the brief shows how the transition from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) has faced significant challenges that impact the right to health, particularly for vulnerable and marginalised groups and addresses broader concerns as to the role of digitalisation in health care management and its implications for service delivery. 

Notably, Kenya’s journey towards a rights-based digital health system requires a coordinated approach that addresses infrastructure, regulatory enforcement, gender equality, and resource allocation and management. By adopting the recommendations found in this brief, Kenya can create a digital health environment that not only advances healthcare service delivery but also protects, promotes and respects the rights of all its citizens, particularly those most at risk of exclusion.

Recommendations on the NHIF-SHIF Transition

1. Enhance digital infrastructure: Fully operationalize the SHA platform and integrate it with existing systems like Kenya Health Information System and Kenya Electronic Medical Records.

2. Conduct public awareness campaigns: Educate citizens on SHA benefits and processes to dispel misinformation and encourage enrolment.

3. Expedite empanelment of facilities: Increase the accreditation of healthcare providers to ensure uninterrupted access to services.

4. Strengthen National-County coordination: Align roles, resources, and responsibilities to streamline service delivery under the devolved healthcare framework as stipulated under the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution.

5. Review contribution models: Adjust means-testing mechanisms to ensure affordability, especially for vulnerable and marginalized populations.

6. Prioritize capacity building: Train healthcare workers and Community Health Promoters to effectively navigate the transition and support beneficiaries.

7. Incorporate stakeholder feedback: Deliberately establish clear communication channels and include healthcare workers, vulnerable and marginalized groups in the design and implementation of SHA systems to promote inclusivity.

8. Clarify referral pathways: Define roles for various healthcare levels under the Primary Health Care Act to simplify patient navigation.

9. Ensure accountability and transparency: Regularly audit the transition to address and mitigate inefficiencies and restore public trust.

Read the full policy brief here.

Research Partners

The research into the human rights impacts of digital health services in Kenya was conducted in partnership between the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights – Kenya’s National Human Rights Institution, CIPESA – The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa which works to promote effective and inclusive ICT policy, and the Danish Institute for Human Rights – Denmark’s national human rights institution which works internationally to address the human rights implications of technology use.

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