The Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, has called on African nations to take control of their digital future by protecting their data, regulating emerging technologies and ensuring that innovation reflects the continent’s values and cultural identity.
Addressing delegates at the 4th Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family, Sovereignty and Values in Accra, the Ningo-Prampram MP warned that technological advancement should not come at the expense of African family systems, traditions and sovereignty.
On digital technology within the African context, Mr. George said Africa must move beyond being a passive consumer of foreign technologies and instead become an active architect of its own digital destiny.
“Our family values and our identity are non-negotiable,” he told delegates, stressing that technological development must be aligned with Africa’s social and cultural realities.
The Minister cautioned against what he described as a new form of digital exploitation, where African data is collected and utilised by global technology companies with limited benefit or control accruing to African countries.
“The stealing of African data must stop. African data is being used without adequate recourse to African governments. We must own our data and determine how it is used,” he stated.
He revealed that Ghana is taking steps to strengthen data sovereignty by migrating critical government digital infrastructure from foreign cloud servers to locally managed facilities, ensuring that sensitive national information remains under the control of Ghanaian institutions and professionals.
“We are not saying we will not use foreign technology. We are saying we must use it on our own terms,” he explained.
Mr. George further advocated a united continental response to the growing influence of multinational technology firms, arguing that African countries would have greater negotiating power if they acted collectively through the African Union.
“There is power in our collective numbers. As individual countries we cannot fight them. The only way Africa can effectively engage Big Tech is through the African Union acting as a bloc,” he said.
The discussion focused heavily on the opportunities and risks associated with artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. Delegates raised concerns about their potential impact on family structures, cultural values, child development and social cohesion.
Responding to calls for proactive regulation, Mr. George insisted that Africa could not afford to wait until disruptive technologies become widespread before developing legal and ethical frameworks to govern them.
“Should Africa wait? Absolutely not,” he said. “There must be guardrails.”
While acknowledging the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in sectors such as healthcare, education and public service delivery, he noted that even the pioneers of AI are now calling for stronger regulation because of the rapid pace of technological advancement.
The Minister also backed efforts to accelerate the ratification and domestication of the African Union’s Malabo Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection, describing it as an important step towards safeguarding African interests in the digital age.
He urged lawmakers across the continent to enact legislation that protects families and future generations from harmful digital influences while promoting responsible innovation.
“Every parliament that passes a digital family protection act, every legislator that ratifies the charter and every lawmaker who stands up and protects the next generation will be fulfilling one of the most important responsibilities of African governance,” he said.
The conference being held on the theme, ‘Consolidating Parliamentary Consensus: Advancing the African Charter on Family, Sovereignty and Values’ is expected to adopt a African charter on the subject matter.
By: Christian Kpesese
