Fellows are listed in alphabetical order (by surname).
Morisola Moromoke Alaba
Media Rights Agenda, Legal Officer, Nigeria
Morisola Moromoke Alaba is a legal officer providing support in advocacy, capacity building, and other legal issues at Media Rights Agenda (MRA). Morisola alongside her colleagues in the FOI Attorneys, a division of MRA, works on litigating Freedom of Information violations. She is a member of MRA’s Network of lawyers carrying out pro-bono FOI litigation around Nigeria. MRA’s work focuses on promoting Freedom of Expression and Access to Information both in the online and offline environments.
She is a Digital Grassroots Ambassador (DIGRA) and also a trainer in the Digital Grassroots Ambassadors Program Cohort 4. DIGRA is an organisation striving towards ensuring openness, security, privacy, web literacy and decentralization of the internet with a goal of increasing digital literacy amongst the young population globally in order to promote their activity as stakeholders in the internet ecosystem at the most basic levels.
Muriel Alapini
IGF/FGI Benin, Secretary, Benin
Muriel Alapini, is Beninese and has been involved in internet governance and digital for almost four years. Vice President of the FGI Benin Association, ICANN Fellow and Community Member, she is also a member of several associations working in the digital field. She has done the certification training in Internet Governance of DiploFoundation and has been an organizer for two years in the activities of the IGF Benin, the first school of internet governance in Benin.
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Jean Pierre Afadhali
The East African, Journalist, Rwanda
Jean Pierre is a journalist from Rwanda, with a professional background in journalism and communications. He is also a part-time researcher and translator.
He is passionate about telling fresh African stories to the global audience; his stories have been published by various local and international news outlets. He has also worked on research projects about Internet freedom and digital rights in Africa.
Jean Pierre's interests include the intersection between digital technologies and human rights.
As a journalist, he has consistently covered ICT with a focus on internet access, affordability, digital rights, internet freedom and Tech innovation in Africa.
Felicia Fauzia Anthonio
Media Foundation for West Africa, Programme Associate, Ghana
Ms. Felicia Anthonio is a Programme Associate at the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), the most influential freedom of expression advocacy organisation in West Africa.
Felicia is responsible for the coordination of the African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX), a continental network of free expression organisations in Africa.
She leads AFEX’s campaigns and advocacy work on freedom of expression including the safety of journalists, Internet freedoms and digital rights with particular focus on policy reforms and measures that are inimical to the enjoyment of freedom of expression (offline and online). She has also successfully led campaigns resulting in redress actions such as the release of jailed journalists, restoration of the Internet and reopening of shut down media houses in Africa and served as the Chairperson of the Programmes Committee for the 2019 Ghana Internet Governance Forum.
Anthonio holds a Master’s Degree in Letters, Languages and International Affairs from l’ Universitéd’Orléans, France and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in French and Psychology from the University of Ghana.
Myo Min Aung
Myanmar ICT for Development Organisation, Digital Rights and Digital Security Program Manager, Myanmar
Myo Min Aung is the program manager of Digital Rights and Digital Security Program in Myanmar ICT for Development Organisation (MIDO) and has been providing support for digital-related issues to human rights defenders, journalists, activists and human rights lawyers in the country. He is also responsible for providing technical training around Digital Literacy, Digital Safety, Online/Social Media Campaigning and technical consultations for social campaigns.
Jireh Boloy Bookwa
Huawei Technologies (RDC) S.A.R.L, Bid and Service Solution Manager, Democratic Republic of Congo
Jireh Boloy Bookwa is from the Democratic Republic of Congo and a holder of a postgraduate diploma in Educational Policy, Leadership and Management (ICT in Education) from the East China Normal University in Shanghai. In 2015 Bookwa earned a Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering from the Institute of Oil and Gas in Kinshasa. Jireh has always looked to the Smart Technologies, Engineering, Entrepreneurship and ICT Education Use as the preferred vehicle to deliver positive change in the community. Jireh strongly believes that education plays a vital role in changing the mindset of people and that the only way to generate income is through employment. Previously Jireh advanced two sustainable development projects and scientific work in Digital Communication Skills and Education for Sustainable Development with PNMLS/NGO in Congo-Kinshasa in order to improve the social life of youths and their development in today’s society.
Rodwell Chitiyo
Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe, Staff Officer to the Director General, Zimbabwe
Rodwell Chitiyo works for the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) as Staff Officer to the Director-General and his duties include among other things, policy research and advice. He is an Internet Governance and Digital Policy enthusiast and an active member of the Zimbabwe Internet Governance Forum (ZIGF) as well as the Internet Society (Zimbabwe Chapter). Rodwell is currently studying for a Master’s Degree in Contemporary Diplomacy with a specialisation in Internet Governance with the University of Malta through DiploFoundation. He has a strong educational background in communication and applied linguistics and this coupled with his work with the telecoms regulator has seen him taking interest in issues of internet access and use particularly by speakers of minority languages and people with special needs. His other areas of interest are online privacy and security, online child protection and online misinformation (fake news).
Dr Yahaya Coulibaly
Agence des Technologies de l’Information et de la Communication, Head of Research Unit, Mali
In 2012, Yahaya Coulibaly received a PhD degree in Computer Science from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) with the best student award. He specialized in Fiber optic networks and Communication. Dr Coulibaly has experience in research and teaching and has published more than 30 conference and journal papers. From 2006-2008 he occupied the post of CTO at the Agency of Information and Communication (AGETIC) and is the first to hold that position. Currently, he is a researcher at AGETIC, the CTO of Mali Research and Education Network (MaliREN), and lecturer at two universities in Mali. He can speak English, Arabic and French.
Yohanna Likita Daniel
Glencore UK, IT Support and Application Technician, Chad
Yohanna Likita Daniel is a Computer Engineer from Emiola Institute of Computer Training in Nigeria. Daniel has more than 10 years experience in IT within the oil and gas industries, as well as NGOs both national and International. Yohanna has come across multi-cultural experiences, which built a strong belief in teamwork.
Apart from this position of IT Technician, Daniel leads a family association since 2017 as Chairman.
The aim of the association is to bring all the family member living in the town or around the town to know each other and share news.
Saliou Diop
ARTICLE 19 Senegal West Africa, IT Assistant, Senegal
Saliou Diop is IT Assistant staff of ARTICLE 19 Senegal West Africa and has been part of the team for the past three years. He is in charge of information technology systems and management of social platforms. In his role, he showed dedication, professionalism and competency. He has served as a good technical resource to the partners in Senegal and Gambia. He is a team player and dedicated staff.
He hopes attending AfriSIG 2019 will strengthen his professional capacity and enable him to increase his understanding of internet governance an area that is important in ARTICLE 19’ work.
Olamide Egbayelo
Hexal Place, Chief Digital Strategist, Nigeria
Olamide Egbayelo is the founder of Hexal Place, a digital media company connecting businesses/brands to their audience. She has created and delivered successful digital media campaigns for top organizations, brands and also managed high net-worth projects. Olamide is an Internet Governance advocate. She currently helps non-profit organizations communicate their work and impact stories better and curate exciting moments at Internet Governance, Digital rights and inclusion related events on her YouTube channel.
Olamide holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, a Diploma in Social Media Marketing, a Diploma in Integrated Brand Experience, a Certificate in Strategic Brand Building and content marketing certifications. Olamide has 10 years experience working in the tech, religious, entertainment, public relations and non-profit sectors.
Verónica Ferrari
Association for Progressive Communications, Global Policy Advocacy Coordinator, Argentina
Verónica has several years’ experience in research, policy analysis and advocacy on internet and human rights. Currently, Verónica is Global Policy Advocacy Coordinator at APC. She coordinates members' and partners’ involvement in the organization’s global policy advocacy work and supports regional advocacy work in close collaboration with APC programmes.
Before joining APC, she served as a policy advisor on digital and open government at the Government Secretariat of Modernization in Argentina. Previously, she worked at the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard, the Center for Studies on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information (CELE). She has also been a consultant with several digital rights organizations in Latin America. Verónica holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication Sciences from the University of Buenos Aires and a Master’s degree in Public Policy at Central European University. Her work focuses on freedom of expression, privacy, and gender and technology.
Ester Nashilongo Gervasius
NamIGF Working Group Member, Internet Society Namibia, President, Namibia
Nashilongo Gervasius is an ICT Policy Analyst, Communication Specialist and a lecturer in Media, Information and Communication studies. She is a co-founder of the Internet Society Namibia Chapter and a founding member of the Namibia National Working Group on Internet Governance Forum.
She previously worked for more than 10 years in the mainstream media and communication field. Her interests are Innovation, Digital Rights, Media Rights and Freedoms, ICT for Development, Gender, Governance, the African narrative, Sustainable Development Goals and Policy research and analysis.
Nashilongo holds a Masters in ICT and the Knowledge Society from the University of Mauritius and Honours Degree in Journalism and Communication Technology from the Namibia University of Science and Technology.
Cynthia Mwara Gichanga
Kenya ICT Action Network, Tech Policy Associate, Kenya
Mwara Gichanga is a Tech Policy Associate at Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet), a network platform that engages multiple stakeholders on ICT policy and reforms. She is creative and passionate about social conscious art and human rights issues especially with regards to ICT policies and regulations. She is a self-proclaimed internet reformist building towards educating, empowering and championing for digital rights.
She is an alumnus of Kenya School of Internet Governance (KESIG) and now part of the faculty and steering committee.
Her interests include technology, design, film and theatre.
Ndiaga Gueye
ICT Users Association Senegal, President, Senegal
Ndiaga Gueye is a computer engineer with 18 years experience and specialises in web and mobile applications development. Gueye has a Master of Science degree in Information and Communication specialising in digital communication.
Currently, Gueye is a digital projects consultant and the President of Senegal ICT Users Association ( ASUTIC). The association’s purpose is to promote and protect Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms on the ICT sector.
Gueye is also a human rights defender and specialises in digital rights promotion and protection since 2014.
Gueye has knowledge and understanding of the ICT, political and regulatory dynamics in Senegal and West Africa. Nevertheless, Gueye is always in need of new knowledge and skills to advance advocacy strategies, implementation plans and community engagement.
Currently, Gueye is focused on data protection, privacy and mass surveillance policies.
Thando Sibongiseni Gumede
M-TETO, Founding CEO, South Africa
Thando Gumede obtained an LLB from the University of the Witwatersrand in 2016. In 2015, she became an alumnus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Global Start-up Labs. Later in the same year, she was recognised by Barclays Africa as one of the top 100 brightest young minds. She is also an Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Fellow and a semi-finalist in the Miss Justice South Africa Pageant. She is a World Economic Forum Global Shaper as well as a member of the Global Internet Society’s Internet Governance Forum.
She is the recipient of the Hague Institute for Innovation in Law’s Fellowship Award, Thando also recently received the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Leaders in Innovation Fellowship, from the United Kingdom. Most recently, she became the recipient of the Letsema Social Innovation and Impact Award. She is currently a Masters student at the University of Cape Town, specialising in Human Rights Law.
Senka Hadzic
Research ICT Africa, Senior Fellow, South Africa
Dr Senka Hadzic is a telecommunications engineer and ICT4D researcher with expertise in low-cost connectivity solutions for developing countries. She is a Ford Foundation (Media Democracy Fund) Tech Exchange Fellow at RIA and does research on alternative spectrum policies to enable small scale operators and community networks.
Senka holds a PhD in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering from the University of Aveiro, Portugal. In 2014 to 2015 she was a Marie Curie Fellow at the Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems in Germany, where she was working on wireless backhaul deployments for rural areas and developing countries. Since 2016 she is with the ICT4D research centre at the University of Cape Town.
Kudakwashe Tinaye Hove
Media Institute of Southern Africa Zimbabwe Chapter, Legal and Digital Policy Lead, Zimbabwe
Kudakwashe Hove is Legal and Digital Policy Lead at the Media Institute of Southern Africa, Zimbabwe Chapter. Kuda leads his organisation’s work on digital policy in Zimbabwe and the Southern African region. He is also tasked with information and communications technologies sectors engagement to foster the exercise and enjoyment of freedom of expression, digital rights, and the right to information. Kuda develops and delivers strategic legal interventions under the Media Defence Fund in the promotion and protection of freedom of expression and the right to information in Zimbabwe.
Tomiwa Ilori
Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Tomiwa Ilori is a human rights lawyer and researcher on digital rights. He is currently a doctoral candidate at the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, the University of Pretoria in South Africa. He is also a researcher with Centre’s Democracy, Transparency and Digital Rights Unit. Prior to joining the Centre, Tomiwa worked with Paradigm Initiative in Nigeria on research, advocacy and project management. He also worked briefly with Main One Cable Company in Nigeria. Tomiwa’s key research focus is on international human rights law and digital technologies, digital rights, the African human rights system, ICT policy and internet governance.
Musab Muhammad Isah
African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC), Research Engineer, Nigeria
Musab Isah worked for five years after his undergraduate degree as a system and network administrator at a government department in Nigeria before enrolling for a PhD in Computer Science at the Lancaster University, UK. His PhD research focused on future network architectures, mobile and wireless networks, and Internet performance measurement.
Upon completion of his PhD, he worked as a postdoc researcher at the University of Cambridge, UK, on an EU project, named RIFE, that designed new community network technologies using ICN and DTN.
Musab currently works at the African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC) based in Mauritius where he is responsible for planning and delivery of AFRINIC research projects as well as collaborative projects with external organisations. He drives the research team’s outputs from conceptualisation to delivery and develops statistical models to uncover insights from mashups of real-world big data, internet measurements, survey data, etc.
Aji Sainey Kah
The Gambia Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, Legal, Licensing and Enforcement Officer, The Gambia
Aji Sainey Kah is a legal practitioner in The Gambia. She is a graduate of the University of The Gambia and The Gambia Law School where she obtained her Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree and BL respectively. She is currently the Legal, Licensing and Enforcement Officer at The Gambia Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA); a multi-sector regulator currently regulating the ICT, Broadcasting, Downstream Petroleum, Water and Sewerage and Energy sectors in The Gambia. She is a true African feminist that works tirelessly on the promotion of gender equality and women’s rights.
Her advocacy and community service also includes active participation in national efforts to end Child Marriage and Female Genital Mutilation.
Aji Sainey is a member of Think Young Women (TYW), a young women-led organization working to inspire and create a new generation of women leaders.
Djikolmbaibet Kennedy
Ministry of Posts and New Information and Communication Technologies., Chad, Head of IT Department, Chad
Djikolmbaibet Kennedy has a combined professional experience of more than 14 years in Information and Communication Technology, Informatics, Database Design and Implementation, Web Hosting. He is a trainer in various computer software, installing VSAT and Fiber Optics in Kenya, Japan as well as Chad.
Kennedy has carried out several consulting assignments in Computer Science Training and Technological Information Management in the capacity building of their staff.
In 2009 he was integrated as a computer scientist at the Ministry of Posts and New Information and Communication Technologies in Chad. Kennedy was assigned to the Information and Communication Technology Department, as Head of the IT Department.
Irene Henrietta Kisakye
Uganda Revenue Authority, Data Centre Administrator, Uganda
As a woman in a highly male-dominated ICT profession, Irene believes that access to information is critical to enabling the female workforce to step up in their roles. Irene believes issues about the internet and technology concern everyone and women need to be interested right from the policy development level to the implementation level. She is a technology enthusiast and a qualified professional in this field. Irene looks forward to seeing a world where male and females are both equally passionate about technology.
Ndunge E. Kiundi
Association for Progressive Communications, Administrative Assistant Community Networks Project, Kenya
Ndunge currently works as the administrative assistant in the APC community networks project. She has over 10 years of experience in communications. She has strong skills in marketing, advocacy and networking with policymakers. Ndunge has led production teams in content creation as well as dissemination of the content as part of media strategy. She has worked with Soroptimist International to train women in business management, health and family planning primarily in the Korogocho slum in Nairobi.
Working with Soroptimist International in helping less privileged women and children has been key in helping foster her interest in public policy formulation and advocacy. She is committed to doing her part to create an equal world for all. Ndunge can be found where there is great coffee and good books.
Tomboye Ibrahim Mahamat
Agency of ICT Development (ADETIC), Information Systems Manager, Chad
Tomboye Ibrahim Mahamat is a Telecommunications Engineering graduate from the Institute of Engineering Sciences of Toulon Var (France) where she also obtained a Master's degree in Visiocontrol.
She has worked as a telecom engineer at the Agency of ICT Development (ADETIC) being Manager of E-services, with a focus on infrastructures and ICTs and is currently the manager of Information Systems, in charge of domain names and IP addresses.
Caroline Duduetsang Makuse
SOS Support Public Broadcasting Coalition, National Coordinator, South Africa
Duduetsang is an avid digital media lover and lifelong scholar who is fascinated by the dynamic media space.
Duduetsang had her formal training in television journalism at the University currently known as Rhodes and has various experiences in broadcast media production and corporate communications. She completed her MBA in Media Management at Cardiff University.
Her activist discontents include socio-economic and gender based inequality and sexual violence while her intellectual interests lie in media strategy, policy and development in the convergent.
Amanda Manyame
Endcode, Tech Law Advisor, South Africa
Amanda Manyame is a Tech Law Advisor with EndCode and is also currently pursuing a Master of Laws in Information and Communications Law focusing on Cyberlaw, Media law, Access to Information and Privacy law, Intellectual Property law and a Research Report titled “Informed Consent for the Purposes of Processing Personal Information in the Context of Big Data Analytics”. Amanda holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree and has practiced law in Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Amanda has been active in growing EndCode’s competency in managing multi-country projects through research work informing technology law and policy reform. She also assists and advises technology start-ups and established technology companies on the legal risks and implications of their innovations.
Amanda has a passion for and keen interest in the legal and policy-related aspects of computing and emerging technologies.
Josephine Kayeli Miliza
Kenya ICT Action Network, Africa Regional Coordinator, Kenya
Josephine Miliza is a network engineer passionate about enabling communities in Africa to leverage digital technologies for socio-economic empowerment. She is currently the Africa regional coordinator for the APC-LOCNET project working under KICTANET. In 2016, Josephine started working on TunapandaNET a community network in Kibera Nairobi Kenya that focuses on promoting access for all, adoption of digital technologies and ICT capabilities for the local community. She has become a champion for promoting the community networks movement in Africa participating in organizing the Africa community networks summit, awareness building, and capacity building forums. Her current interests are in bottom-up sustainable connectivity models and creative approaches to an enabling environment that fosters entrepreneurship and innovation especially for youth and women in Africa.
Suzana Moreira![]()
Mowoza Limitada, Managing Director & Founder, Mozambique
Suzana Moreira is managing CEO of niche innovation advisory consultancy Innova Box, and founder of Mowoza Limited. Through these entities, Suzana has delivered strategic advice to numerous multinational organisations, policy, academic and civil society institutions in informal markets. She has worked in East and Southern Africa on the deployment of digital technologies to address the Sustainable Development Goals and to empower women.
Suzana Moreira is one of the Mail & Guardian’s Drivers of Change Footprint award winners for her work on digital economy and women-led SMEs. She has received accolades for innovative solutions from Meffys, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, amongst others.
Allan Mulenga
Zambia Police Service, Digital Forensic Investigator, Zambia
Allan Mulenga is a law enforcement professional and cybersecurity expert working for the Zambia Police Service. Allan has vast knowledge, skills, and experience in Cyber Crime Investigations from his more than 13 years of experience as a professional.
Allan’s interests include cyber security and internet governance which is his current line of career development. To support this, Allan holds a BSc in Information security and Computer Forensics accompanied by a number of certifications in Cisco CCNA, Digital Forensic Investigations, Microsoft Professional and Cyber Security Management. Currently he is involved in different internet governance initiatives like the Zambia Internet Governance Forum, Computer Internet Society Chapter, Cybercrime Crack squard. Allan truly believes his participation in internet governance issues and work will enhance his skillset.
Melody Musoni
University of Witswatersrand, PhD Student, South Africa
Melody is an author and an emerging legal researcher in the areas of cybercrimes, cybersecurity and data protection. She is currently undertaking her PhD in Law at Witwatersrand University, South Africa. Her research project is on establishing jurisdiction of electronic evidence stored in the cloud. Besides being a PhD student, Melody also teaches Data Protection Law and Cybersecurity to non-lawyers at the Learning Information Networking Knowledge (LINK) Centre. In addition, Melody is also a Legal Consultant at Phukubje Pierce Masithela Attorneys (PPM), a law firm which specialises in media law, telecommunications and technology law and information security.
Sigi Waigumo Mwanzia
Article 19 East Africa, Digital Policy Fellow, Kenya
Sigi Waigumo Mwanzia is a Digital Policy Fellow at ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa. She holds an LLB in Law and Politics from Cardiff University as well as an MA in International Development from the University of Warwick. Sigi is currently immersed in research assessing the Kenyan governments heightened digitisation drives and the implications of this on privacy and data protection rights.
Musau Angela Ndunge
Office of the Attorney General and Department of Justice, Kenya, Parliamentary Counsel, Kenya
Angela Ndunge is a holder of a Bachelor of Laws degree from Makerere University, Uganda and a Post Graduate Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law. She is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya with 5 years’ experience and currently working in the Office of the Attorney General as a Legislative Drafter. Angela has a keen interest in matters relating to technology and specifically how the law can impact and protect the rights of persons in this digital age. Attending the African school on Internet governance, 2019 will be her first time in Chad and Angela hopes this opportunity will help broaden her knowledge and understanding of internet governance.
Joan Margaret Wanjira Njagi
Independent Sexual Reproductive Health Rights Researcher, Kenya
Joan Njagi is a feminist scholar and researcher with a multi-disciplinary background in children and youth in development, sexual and reproductive health, gender and social policy. She has more than 15 years’ experience implementing programs and researching on sexual health and gender issues. Her work examines the interface of sexual and reproductive health, education and social well-being for young people. Her research interests center on understanding how programmatic innovations interact with contextual social norms and structural power relations to shape adolescent sexual and reproductive health rights. Joan is also PhD researcher at the International Institute of Social Studies of the Erasmus University, Rotterdam. Her PhD work examines the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in navigating the socio-cultural tensions surrounding adolescent sexuality and in addressing the lived realities of adolescent girls’ sexuality and in facilitating sexual and reproductive health rights for adolescent girls.
Solomon Okot Nono
Battery Operated Systems for Community Outreach Uganda (BOSCOUganda), Technical Manager, Uganda
From Northern Uganda, male and a holder of a Bachelor of Information Technology Degree, Post Graduate Diploma in Project Planning and Management and currently undertaking postgraduate studies in Monitoring and Evaluation, Okot is a committed, enthusiastic, honest and a self-motivated person who loves working within the community building ICT infrastructure and community networks. He currently works as Technical Manager at Battery Operated Systems for Community Outreach (BOSCO) Uganda; a community network base in northern Uganda. Okot is also part of the LOCNET project, connecting the unconnected community network peer learning grant and pathfinder grant through the Association of Progressive Communication (APC).
Okot loves following news on new technology, watching football, traveling and watching movies.
Sophie Monkam Ngassa epse Fon Nsoh
Center for Youth Education and Economic Development, Executive Director, Cameroon
Sophie is a Civil Engineer and STEM advocate for girls who has been passionately teaching girls hands-on digital skills via project-based and mentoring programs.
Sophie has firsthand experience of the sad and devastating experience of two unprecedented internet shutdowns in Northwest and South West regions of Cameroon in 2017, making her become more meaningfully advocating for internet rights in Africa, engaging government officials and stakeholders to address internet connectivity and the crises that arise from blocked communication.
She is a notable voice for digital rights in Africa. Recently her stories about her experience during the internet blackout were published in Slate magazine, AccessNow, and World Pulse.
She promoted and contributed to the #BringBackMyInternet and #KeepItOn campaign. AccessNow has been using her stories to encourage other people to share their experiences about internet shutdowns that will help change the world.
She contributed significantly in creating the Digital Rights Coalition in Cameroon as Co-Lead under the “Ensemble Cameroon” project powered by Internews in collaboration with AfroLeadership and Paradigm Initiative.
Emilia Paulus
Namibia Media Trust, Project Officer, Namibia
Emilia Paulus is an avid advocate for human rights, particularly freedom of speech for all. She works as a Project Officer at the Namibia Media Trust (NMT) and is currently co-implementing the “ACTION Now” Project that aims to promote and defend the right to access to information in Namibia.
Youthful and energetic Emilia spearheads the NMT’s annual #YouthQuake platform which strongly incorporates issues of digital literacy as a cornerstone of the individual and collective development of Namibia’s young people. She is a team player who formerly worked as a Child Rights Support Officer at the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA). In that position she championed campaigns for the right of children to express themselves through the media of their choice.
Emilia holds an Honours Degree in Media Studies and a National Diploma in Public Relations. She has over the years acquired hands-on experience in journalism and project management.
Lydienne Nathalie Ntogue
Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, National Coordinator of ICT reform project & Personal Assistant to Senior Technical advisor, Cameroon
Lydienne Nathalie Ntogue is an Inspector of Posts and Telecommunications in the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. She is the Senior Collaborator of the Technical Adviser of the Minister and Coordinator of the ICT Reform Project in Cameroon, funded by the World Bank. Lydienne is a member of the temporary MAG for Central Africa and an active member of the Cameroon IGF Group responsible of shaping the national IGF, educating authorities on IGF principles, working towards the organization of a multi-stakeholder IGF. As a UN-WOMEN focal point for the CASH sector, she is passionate about fighting for gender-related issues in the ICT field.
Gabreal Oluwaseyi Odunsi![]()
Paradigm Initiative Nigeria, Program Officer, Nigeria
Gabreal Odunsi is an ICT for Development practitioner with nearly four years of professional experience in community development and capacity building with a focus on connecting underserved communities with ICT-enabled opportunities for improved livelihood.
Gabreal has coordinated and led several change projects in partnership with a variety of stakeholders and partners from the public and private sector and also from civil society. He coordinated Intel West Africa’s “SheWillConnect” Initiative – a program aimed at reducing the gender and technology gap for young women in emerging markets from August 2016 to August 2018. The program delivered digital literacy training to over 900 girls, ages 15 to 26, across three centers in Nigeria. In 2017, he coordinated the introduction of the LIFE@School club – a weekly technology club for senior secondary schools in partnership with secondary school principals and teachers in the Ajegunle community. The initiative has so far educated 470 secondary school students.
Gabreal is a member of the Nigeria Youth IGF Ad-Hoc Steering Committee and holds a Bachelors Degree in Geology from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Nigeria.
Harimino Lalatiana Rakotondrainibe
Research and Education Network for Academic Learning Activities, System and Network Administrator, Madagascar
After her graduation as a Telecommunications engineer majoring in network and systems engineering, Harimino Lalatiana Rakotondrainibe joined an ISP in Madagascar as a network engineer before being hired as a network and systems administrator for I RENALA (Malagasy NREN), which is also responsible for the management of Madagascar’s IXP, MGIX. She is passionate about the Internet and is convinced that this medium will leverage development in Africa and ensure a better life for billions of people in the world if used efficiently. For this reason, she seeks to earn a better understanding of Internet Governance to be an advocate for better Internet use and access.
Amina Ramallan
Nigeria Communications Commission, Senior Officer, Nigeria
Amina Ramallan is a graduate of the American University of Nigeria with a BSc in Information Systems and MSc in Project Management from the University of Salford, Manchester.
Presently, she works in the New Media and Information Security Department of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), with Internet Governance as her primary job function. Furthermore, she assists with the monitoring of global practices and strategies in order to recommend ways to improve Internet penetration and development within Nigeria.
Ramallan is hopeful of a continent that is active in a world marked by rapid technological advancements within the internet governance ecosystem. For this reason, she endeavors to be a positive contributor to the society by making the internet more than just a tool for communication but an instigator for social, economic, political and educational development.
Thomas Sithole
Zimbabwe Centre for Media and Information Literacy, Executive Director, Zimbabwe
Thomas Sithole is Executive Director for Zimbabwe Centre for Media and Information Literacy (ZCMIL). The organization convenes the annual Zimbabwe New Media Summit, a high-level policy advocacy and dialogue space on the country and regional new media ecosystem and also runs an online local digital news publication, The Citizen Bulletin. Sithole is a fearless campaigner for freedom of expression and communication rights. He is also a Mozilla Open Learning and Leaders alumni.
Thomas is an IREX Community Solutions Fellow, a program sponsored by the USA State Department for global change-makers and catalysts for game-changing global development solutions. His organization works mostly with grass-root communities to help empower them to access their communication-related rights. Sithole currently coordinates a youth exchange program, Fostering Youth Participation in Civic Transformation (FOYOPACT) between his organization and Centre for Media Literacy and Community Development (CEMCOD) from Uganda. Sithole has participated in the Forum for Internet Freedom in Africa.
Princess Mariam Zawu
Liberia Telecommunications Corporation, Supervisor IT Service Desk, Liberia
Princess Mariam Zawu is an Information Technology Service Desk Supervisor with eight years of experience in customer service and telecommunication. Princess specializes in telecommunication technologies and regularly attends national training sessions to showcase new IT tech and customer service trends, such as best practices ITIL, LTE apps, and people analytics tools. A strong believer in the power of positive thinking in the workplace, Princess regularly develops technical and security awareness systems to effectively build the capacity of employees. Princess enjoys a good Netflix binge but can also be found on computers during researches.
Mahamat Abdoulaye Wardougou
National Agency for Computing Security and Electronic Certification (ANSICE), Head of Cybersecurity, Chad
Mahamat Abdoulaye Wardougou holds a Master's degree in Networks and Telecommunications from Gaston Berger University in Saint-Louis, Senegal and studied for a Specialized Master's in Security of Systems and Networks (Expert in Governance of Network and System Security) at Telecom Sudparis, a member of the Institut Mines-Télécom group of research-based engineering and management shcools in France. He has 3 years of professional experience as Networks and Systems Administrator at the Passport Production Center as well as 15 months professional experience as Level N3 Support Engineer for the back bone network of telecommunications operator SFR in France. Currently, he is Head of Cybersecurity at the National Agency for Computing Security and Electronic Certification (ANSICE) Chad.
McQueen Zenzo Zaza
Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation, Legal Counsel, Zambia
McQueen Zenzo Zaza is a dynamic, assiduous and dependable Zambian lawyer. Zaza is currently working as Legal Counsel at the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation. He is a holder of a law degree from the University of Zambia. Zaza also holds a Diploma in Philosophy and Religious Studies from St. Augustine’s Major Seminary an affiliate of Albanian University, Rome. He has over 10 years of experience as an Advocate for the adjudicature of the High Court of Zambia. Zaza also has a Masters degree in International Trade and Investment Law in Africa from the University of Pretoria, South Africa.