Data is Gold: Nation Digital Summit 2022

‘We would like to dress up but in reality in the digital space we are completely naked.’

Privacy is a human right but that is stripped away by companies and businesses that do not have data protection policies.

This was the highlight and most engaging conversation at the second edition of the Nation Digital Summit at Sarova White Sands held on March 2-4, 2022.

The three day summit saw a convergence of business leaders, techpreneurs, Investors, corporate decision makers, the government and academia discussing the theme, ‘Global Tech-over.’

Kenya is one of the leading countries in Africa in ICT followed by Morocco and Nigeria. The government has put measures in place to leverage on this technology and has established a legal framework to manage data. The Ministry of ICT has established the office of the Data Protection Commissioner.

Ms Immaculate Kassait, Data Commissioner, challenged all business leaders to establish data policies in their businesses as soon as one thinks of starting a business and from then henceforth considering that the Data protection act was enacted in 2019.  She highlighted seven tenets of Data Protection globally; Transparency, Confidentiality, Accuracy, Purpose Limitation, Data Minimization, Storage Limitation and Accountability.

Dr. Wale Akinyemi, spoke on The Tech Revolution 50 years on, and he challenged business leaders who are the ‘gatekeepers’ of innovative solutions suggested by the young innovative employees that they have to be open-minded and see the possibilities that could be achieved as opposed to being comfortable with what’s available. He noted, ‘Most managers and CEOs are fearful of what they don’t know and yet these young people that we have around us are coming up with innovative solutions every other day. The innovations do not see the light of day because a manager chooses to say no just because he/she does not understand how it works.’

A lot of discussions were basically a matter of stock taking, how businesses are evolving their operations in a digitally disruptive ecosystem, monetizing content creation strategies and innovative business models, tapping and nurturing talent in a digitally disruptive environment and effective leadership in a world redefined by digital.

The Founder of Israel Innovative Institute, Mr. Leo Bakman, Oliver August, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, Nation Digital, and Dr. Catherine Ngahu, Chair SBO Research Limited are among the panelists that joined the summit virtually.

All leaders were challenged to change their paradigms when it comes to technology and the digital space. As Africa, we must rise up and consume the innovations that we, as Africans have come up with to solve our challenges.

The summit saw over 180 participants join both physically and virtually.

Some of the memorable quotes from the summit:

‘Africa cannot continue to remain technologically poor' - Mr. Mutuma Mathiu, Editor-In-Chief, NMG

‘The Global Tech-over is the reason why we are here. Technology dictates where the world is going and we can’t live without It’- Maureen Mbaka, CAS, Ministry of ICT

‘Customer is king but context is King Kong’ – Martha Huro, Managing Director, Transsnet Music Kenya Limited

‘Let’s stop worrying about media products and start thinking about our media audiences' -Oliver August

‘Change is not news. The news is how you lead through change'- Baker Muganda, CEO, Guinness Nigeria PLC