The African School on Internet Governance –  #AfriSIG23 – took place from 13 to 18 September in Abuja – Information on #AfriSIG2024 will be shared by March 2024

The Association for Progressive Communications (APC), the African Union Commission (AUC) and Research ICT Africa, convened the 11th annual African School on Internet Governance.  AfriSIG23 fromr 13 to18 September 2023 in Abuja, Nigeria, immediately prior to the 2023 African Internet Governance Forum.  AfriSIG23 was organised in collaboration with Paradigm Initiative, the United Nations Internet Governance Forum Parliamentary Track and the hosts and organisers of the 2023 African IGF, the Federal Government of Nigeria, and the AfIGF secretariat and Multistakeholder Advisory Group. The practicum topic was the African Union’s Data Policy Framework.

PRACTICUM – MULTISTAKEHOLDER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AFRICAN UNION’S DATA POLICY FRAMEWORK

For the practicum component of the 11th annual AfriSIG fellows produced a “multistakeholder national implementation and follow-up strategy” for the African Union Data Policy Framework, building on the current process taking place at the level of Regional Economic Commissions and member states, but with emphasis on the involvement of parliamentarians, civil society, business, the media and other non-state actors, including the technical community and academic and research institutions.

WHO WAS AT AFRISIG2023?

AfrISIG is not aimed at beginners. AfriSIG’s goal is to develop a pipeline of leading Africans from diverse sectors, backgrounds and ages with the skills to participate in local and international internet governance structures and shape the future of the internet landscape for Africa’s development. Applications were only open to applicants who have relevant work experience and/or are involved in internet governance or information and communications technology (ICT) research, policy and regulation in Africa. An additional qualification for AfriSIG23 was active involvement in data governance at the level of research, oversight or implementation. 

We were particularly honored to have a large number of ‘honourables’ with us in 2023! AfriSIG 23 included several members of parliament, many of them also members of the African Network on Parliamentarians in Internet Governance (APNIG). Other participants included individuals from:

  • Information regulators including privacy commissions
  • Data protection/governance professionals
  • Government ministries and departments
  • National and regional communications regulatory authorities
  • Service providers and other businesses that form part of the internet industry
  • Civil society organisations including digital rights groups
  • Women’s rights and gender justice groups
  • The judiciary and other members of the legal community
  • Technical organisations and cyber security professionals
  • Academic and research institutions
  • Media organisations and individual bloggers and journalists

For more information on AfriSIG23, visit the AfriSIG23 page or contact the AfriSIG organisers, Anriette Esterhuysen and Peace Oliver Amuge at afrisig@apc.org

 

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