The African Data
Protection Network has selected Ghana as the anglophone leader to persuade
English speaking countries on the continent to initiate discussions on how to
enable more enactments of Data Protection law across the region to safeguard
the privacy of its citizens.
Ghana was chosen by the Network to set the pace on the basis that the country’s
Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843) is closely aligned with global standards –
Convention 108. What this implies is that, Ghana’s data protection Act meets
the requirements of international best practices.
This was during the first ever Africa Data Protection and Privacy Conference
held in Accra last Monday organized to enable African countries ensure total
compliance of Data Protection laws.
To ensure realization of the enactment, an action plan including drafting of a
constitution framework has been adopted by stakeholders to ensure compliance of
African countries yet to enact data protection laws.
Statistics indicate that out of the 55 African countries, only 16 have passed
Data Protection Law. Out of the 16, three countries namely, Ghana, South Africa
and Mauritius have established supervisory authorities to this effect.
It is as a result of this development; Ghana is taking the lead in encouraging
individual African countries to pass the law and ensure compliance.
Speaking with the Goldstreet Business during the regional conference, the
Executive Director of Data Protection Commission (DPC), Ghana, Ms. Patricia
Adusei-Poku said a number of companies have showed interest to support the
process by way of providing funding to ensure its success.
“There is lots of interests in what Ghana is leading Africa to do and the
passion that we have in realizing the requirement of data protection, we felt
that it is meaningless for one African nation to do the right thing whiles the
others are dormant”, she reiterated.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Right to privacy, Prof. Joe Cannatci noted that it
was important government through the Data Protection Commission ensure that all
the safeguards are in place and remedies available to citizens so they can be
rest assured that their personal data is being used in the right way.
Goldstreet business
