Patricia Adusei-Poku speaks on risks and benefits of cross-border data flows

The CEO of Estabridge Africa Limited, Patricia Adusei-Poku, has highlighted both the opportunities and risks associated with cross-border data flows in the digital age.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Artificial Intelligence Policy Summer School at GIMPA on November 24, 2025, Adusei-Poku said a major challenge that continues to hinder the progress of cross-border data flows is the risk of unauthorised access and misuse.

Global data protection expert calls for unified data approach in Ghana

“The benefits and risks of doing cross-border data flows come with the threat of unauthorised access and data abuse. If our data enters another country and they are not adhering to the same high standards that Ghana has set for itself, they will do what they want when it’s in their space,” she noted.

Adusei-Poku, who is also a global data protection expert, said that to avoid such risks, countries sharing information must enforce clear agreements and standardised tools.

“We must promote the use of tools and templates that establish information-sharing agreements. Proper transmission methods should be used, the methodology should be standardised, and there should be Special Points of Contact (SPOCs) in other countries to help escalate issues.

“So many key data governance measures need to be put in place to enable the continuous protection of our data protection rights as fundamental human rights, and to ensure that there is reduced wrongful, unauthorised or intentional access and use of our data,” she stated.

Touching on the benefits of cross-border data flows, Adusei-Poku noted that they can drive business growth and strengthen regional collaboration.

“The benefit is that collaboration is good for business. It enhances opportunities and opens up access to bigger markets. Ghana, for example, is about one-tenth the size of Nigeria. Where we are 30 million, they are 240 million. So if you're a Ghanaian startup and you're able to access the Nigerian market, that automatically scales your business up by about 10 times,” the expert explained.

She emphasised the need for Ghana and neighbouring countries to harmonise regulations, stressing that African nations must align their data protection standards to ensure safer and more effective collaboration.

Global data protection expert Patricia Adusei-Poku outlines key projects she is leading

“We want Ghana and Nigeria to collaborate, agree and standardise the approach to data protection so you won’t worry because the rules are the same. Once you're complying with Ghana’s rules, you could possibly be complying with Nigeria’s rules. That is the level of harmonisation we are pushing for, so that we can freely and easily transfer and access data,” she added.

Watch the video below:

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Meanwhile, watch as Global Data Protection expert Patricia Poku outlines key projects she is leading: