SLENA, 24th March, 2022 – The Minister of Information and Communications, Mr Mohamed Rahman Swaray has convened a two-Day Benchmarking and Experience Sharing workshop to review the Draft Data Protection bill at the Atlantic Hotel, Lumley, Freetown.
The workshop was sponsored by Meta, the owners of Facebook and WhatsApp.
Minister Swaray say that the Ministry is committed in fulfilling one of His Excellency’s key and critical agenda which is a digital inclusive Sierra Leone whose competitiveness would be enhanced through digitalization.
Digitalization, Mr Swaray said come with a lot of challenges with individual personal data adding that, about 87% of Sierra Leoneans are connected to mobile while 32% are on various social media networks; hence the urgent need for data protection law in the country.
The Minister concluded he is confident that, with the passive of a wholistic data protection law, Sierra Leone would be a competitive country in the global arena.
Meta Head of Privacy in Africa, Middle East and Turkey, Dr Ololade Shyllon said Meta recognises that data that data privacy cannot occur without data protection law. She added that they are supporting and engaging governments, civil societies among other organizations to help shape the future of data regulations worldwide.
Dr Shyllon said they are looking forward and committed to engage Sierra Leone as they are convinced that the best solution comes in collaboration with government, experts and people.
NCRA Representative in her remarks described data protection as an important issue with an unprecedented growth on usage of digitalization of personal data. The Chairman of the Legislative Committee in Parliament, Hon Marray-Conteh also commended Minister Swaray and team for their relentless effort in the enhancement of data protection bill in the country. Data protection, Hon Marray Conteh said is a human right and that every citizen needs to know how their personal information are used, stored and passed on and that the global village also has the right to data privacy.
The Consultant was former Ghana Data Commissioner Teki Akuetteh Falconer Esq.
