Ghana takes lead to encourage African states to enact data protection law

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.