Co-Develop, a global non-profit initiative dedicated to assisting nations in establishing and embracing expansive digital public infrastructure (DPI) solutions, has awarded a grant to the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) to facilitate specialized training for a handpicked cohort of journalists from West Africa.
The focus of the training is to equip these journalists with the necessary skills to effectively report on the intricacies of DPIs.
During the unveiling of the State of Inclusive Instant Payments Systems (SIIPS) in Africa Report, organized by AfricaNenda, Robert Karanja, the Senior Director at Co-Develop overseeing investments in Africa, revealed this development.
“We have invested in MFWA to build the capacities of journalists from ten West African countries to enable them to report adequately on DPIs.”
Robert Karanja
Co-Develop’s involvement as a partner in a preceding workshop for journalists before the SIIPS Report launch underscored the organization’s primary objective of bolstering the integration of inclusive and secure DPIs in developing nations. These DPIs encompass digital identity, payment systems, and data exchange protocols.
Karanja emphasized Co-Develop’s ongoing commitment to enhancing the comprehension, utilization, and overall benefits of DPIs among the general population in Africa.
According to Karanja, the journalists are presently in the midst of their training in preparation for the upcoming West African Media Excellence Awards (WAMECA) scheduled for this weekend. He intends to be present at the event, where he will engage with the initial group of journalists who have reaped the benefits of the training.
Karanja highlighted that aside from the ongoing DPI reporting training for journalists in Ghana, Co-Develop recognizes Ghana as a frontrunner in the realm of digital public infrastructure (DPI) across the continent.
“We are very interested in continuing to engage and invest in Ghana across various parameters.”
Robert Karanja
African Footprints And Data Protection/Privacy
He shared that Co-Develop is actively engaged in a multitude of thrilling initiatives throughout Africa. These endeavors involve aiding the Zambian government in implementing a comprehensive digital public infrastructure (DPI) for a program supporting farmers. Furthermore, Co-Develop is collaborating with the Ugandan National Information Technology Authority and the National Identity Authority to refine their national identification system and government electronic service platform.
Additionally, Co-Develop is dedicated to partnering with the National ID Authority in Ethiopia to establish an inclusive national identification system, with a specific focus on various application scenarios. Simultaneously, they are in discussions with the Kenyan government and the bankers’ association regarding Pesalink, a privately owned instant payments platform.
“We are also working with and speaking to various non-profit institutions, civil society organizations (like AfricaNenda), and other regional stakeholders so that we can advance digital public infrastructure from an African perspective.”
Robert Karanja
Apart from its extensive operations in Africa, Co-Develop has also extended its influence to Brazil in Latin America, as well as populous Asian nations such as Indonesia, the Philippines, and Bangladesh.
Robert Karanja reiterated that Co-Develop places a high priority on data protection when selecting the countries or organizations to assist in DPI development. He stressed that data has become the new valuable resource, comparable to oil.
Governments benefit from data in their efforts to provide effective services to their citizens, while the private sector leverages it to understand consumer needs, making data sharing a crucial element in facilitating efficient services.
“But as we share data it is also very important that we have data protection laws that determine how we store, use, and share data, and also what the privacy of the individual is within that spectrum,” he said.
He said it is unacceptable for entities holding public data to share or sell that data to any and everyone indiscriminately, for profit, without the express consent of the individual owners of that data.
“We at Co-Develop believe that individual citizens must be able to determine when they give their data, how it is used, who has access to it and they should be able to provide or withdraw consent at will,” he added.
Robert Karanja holds the view that data protection in Africa has been making strides, citing examples such as Ghana, which has been on this path for a significant period, and Ethiopia, which recently joined the endeavor while acknowledging Kenya’s notable efforts in this domain.
He expressed that the continent has the potential for further progress, emphasizing that there’s no necessity to start from scratch, as other nations can glean valuable insights from those in Africa which have made significant headway in the realm of data protection.
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