PSA 2023 SPEAKERS

Director of CAMEX DPO Consulting Ltd

Nirusha Keerpaul-Toocaram

Panel: Ethical AI: Safeguarding Privacy in Africa’s IT Landscape – Exploring Opportunities and Challenges for IT Players

Date: Wednesday 8th November, 2023
Time: 10:35am – 11:35am  Mauritian Time

Nirusha Keerpaul-Toocaram, a legal and compliance professional with more than a decade of international experience in Mauritius and Luxemburg, has been specialising in privacy field since more than 5 years now. She is the first Mauritian to have obtained the esteemed designation of Fellow of Information Privacy (FIP) by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) in January 2022.

She is the founder and director of CAMEX DPO Consulting Ltd, which is the only company in Mauritius, providing solely data protection consultancy and trainings. Her organisation is also an authorized partner of PECB through which she provides ISO 27001/ISO 27701 and certified privacy courses to the EMEA region. Currently she acts as outsourced Data Protection Officer for several companies including a governmental organisation. Since July 2023, CAMEX DPO is a core team member of the Networking Forum for Data Protection Officers, which operates under the aegis of Data Protection Office in Mauritius.

Nirusha regularly participates in high profile conferences and specialised panel discussions, including the Data Protection Africa Summit in 2018, the Data Protection Office’s conference in 2020 and the Women in Finance and Investment Network Summit 2022. She is also a lecturer in GDPR for the African Institute of Training and Development (AITD) and a lecturer in law at the Open University of Mauritius.

Nirusha is the winner of Lottotech Seeds Award 2020 – her project of privacy legaltech was considered as the most innovative and sustainable project in this age of digital distruption. She has participated in Turbine Test Drive 5, a preincubation programme that aims to support aspiring entrepreneurs to develop their ideas into a business plan and a Pitch. She was also a finalist for Women in Africa 54 Programme 2021 and a regional finalist for Global Startup Awards – Eastern Africa 2021 in the categories “Best Newcomer” and “Founder of the Year”.

Country: Mauritius

Programs Strategy Lead at Paradigm Initiative

Adeboye Adegoke

Panel: Striking a Balance: Surveillance and National Security in Africa

Date: Tuesday 7th November, 2023
Time: 2:05pm – 3:05pm Mauritian Time

Adeboye Adegoke leads Paradigm Initiative’s fund mobilization efforts and programs strategy, including driving PIN’s programs direction and maximizing impacts. He has amassed massive expertise and skills in digital policy interventions, stakeholder engagements, capacity building, strategic litigations, coalition building, and media campaigns in various roles at Paradigm Initiative in the past nine years. Adeboye led advocacy for the passage of the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill by Nigeria’s parliament. He’s led PIN work on surveillance accountability in the past years.

He is a fellow of the African School on Internet Governance and a fellow of the San Francisco-based Centre for Digital Policy and Artificial Intelligence. He’s a member of the Danish government’s Tech Advisory Council, A member of the Freedom Online Coalition currently led by the US government. He was a Twitter’s Human Rights Advisory Council member until December 2022. He has written several articles and authored many reports. He’s the author of Digital Right and Privacy Report and co-authored the Digital Rights in Africa report by Paradigm Initiative. Adeboye leads PIN’s digital rights engagement with policymakers, parliamentarians, and judicial officers in Africa. He’s facilitated training for judges, policymakers, and parliamentarians in Nigeria, Zambia, Chad, Tanzania, and Malawi. He’s consistently a featured guest on leading television stations such as Channels TV, ARISE TV, and TVC.

He co-founded the Monkmedia Yellow Pages in 2006 as an undergraduate at Obafemi Awolowo University. He holds a master’s Degree in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa from the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, and a Bachelor of Science in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from Obafemi Awolowo University. He also holds a professional public relations certificate and completed Public Policy courses at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Country: Nigeria

CoFounder/CTO Convexity

Charles OkaforMbah

Panel: Ensuring Privacy and Data Protection in Mobile Banking Digital Payment Platforms: Addressing Challenges and Solutions in Africa

Date: Wednesday 8th November, 2023
Time: 10:35am – 11:35am  Mauritian Time

Charles OkaforMbah is the CoFounder/CTO Convexity. He is a cloud engineer and blockchain solutions architect, a consultant on central bank digital currency (CBDC), asset tokenization, enterprise cloud solution, and big data management with 16 years as a technology entrepreneur and startup business solution. He architected and led teams that worked on CBDC platforms, financial cryptography, proof of personhood identity system, data research platform powered by blockchain and artificial intelligence, wallet system for aid distribution and a host of decentralized applications.

He is also passionate about security risk management and vulnerability assessment of Internet-of-Things (IoT), artificial intelligence on the cloud, and seeing ideas that have established ‘proof of concept’ and value propositions come to life. He is a goal-driven individual that is passionate about productivity and human development, fun-loving and entrepreneurship-driven. A husband and father.

Country: Nigeria

Chief Privacy Officer and DPO of the Cantonal Hospital of Ticino (EOC)

Baroum Mrad

Panel: Privacy-Centric Funding: Navigating the Role of Global Fund, WHO, WB, and others in Financing Technological Advancements in the Health Sector amidst Digital Transformation.

Date: Wednesday 8th November, 2023
Time: 10:00am – 10:25am Mauritian Time

Baroum Mrad is currently the Chief Privacy Officer and DPO of the Cantonal Hospital of Ticino (EOC).

He is a seasoned privacy professional with a diverse background in business, data science engineering, and law. With 14 years of experience in the fields of data science and privacy, particularly in the healthcare sector, he has effectively navigated the complexities of technology, strategy, and data protection. His expertise lies at the intersection of legal and technological aspects of healthcare, making him a unique asset in the industry.

Country: Switzerland

A writer and investigative journalist

David Hundeyin

Panel: Preserving Privacy in Investigative Journalism: Exploring the Delicate Balance between Public Interest and Privacy Rights

Time: 2:20pm – 3:20pm Mauritian Time
Designation: A writer and investigative journalist

David Hundeyin is a writer and investigative journalist who majors in business, politics and security. His work has appeared on Al Jazeera, The Africa Report, Channels Television, BusinessDay, West Africa Weekly and CNN Africa.

After starting his career in business consulting and marketing, Hundeyin pivoted to journalism when he became the founding writer on ‘The Other News,’ Nigeria’s first prime-time political satire TV show, which would go on to record 2 million average weekly viewers.

Hundeyin’s work on ‘The Other News’ was featured in the New Yorker Magazine and in the Netflix documentary ‘Larry Charles Dangerous World of Comedy’ Episode 4. He was also nominated by the U.S. State Department to take part in the 2019 Edward R. Murrow Program for journalists under the International Visitors Leadership Program. In 2020, he won the 2020 People Journalism Prize for Africa for exposing and unraveling anti-civil rights legislation passing through Nigeria’s House of Representatives under the cover of COVID-19 response measures. In 2021, he was one of 12 journalists from around the world chosen for the $1 million Substack Local Fellowship. Also in that year, he was named among the 100 Most Influential Voices in Nigerian Politics.

He was named the GRC & Anti-Financial Crime Reporter of the Year in 2021 and 2022 consecutively, and he was named the Most Outstanding Young Person in Journalism at the 2022 Lagos Youth Awards. In the same year, he was named among the 100 Most Influential Africans of 2022 by New African Magazine. Following the publication of his debut nonfiction title “The Jungle: A Personal Journey With The Enfant Terrible Of Nigerian Journalism”, he was named the 2023 Distinguished James Currey Fellow at the University of Cambridge

Country: Nigeria

Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for Human Rights

Dr. Tomiwa Ilori

Panel: Striking a Balance: Surveillance and National Security in Africa

Date: Tuesday 7th November, 2023
Time: 2:05pm – 3:05pm Mauritian Time

Dr Tomiwa Ilori is a distinguished Postdoctoral Research Fellow affiliated with the esteemed Centre for Human Rights, which is situated within the renowned Faculty of Law at the prestigious University of Pretoria. With a strong academic background and expertise in the field, Dr. Ilori’s research revolves around the critical realm of digital rights.

Within this dynamic field, he delves deep into the intricate areas of platform governance and accountability, exploring how various online platforms regulate and manage content while also holding them responsible for their actions. Additionally, his work encompasses the crucial domain of data protection, seeking to safeguard individual privacy and ensure responsible data handling practices in the digital age.

Dr. Ilori’s expertise also extends to communication surveillance, investigating the methods and implications of monitoring digital communications to strike a balance between security needs and citizens’ rights to privacy and freedom of expression.

His contributions to the ever-evolving landscape of digital rights are both impactful and far-reaching, offering valuable insights that contribute to shaping policies and practices in the digital realm. With a dedication to promoting a fair and just digital society, Dr. Tomiwa Ilori continues to be a leading figure in the field of digital rights research and advocacy

Country: South Africa

Senior Program Officer at Paradigm Initiative

Ihueze Nwobilor

Panel: Striking a Balance: Surveillance and National Security in Africa

Date: Tuesday 7th November, 2023
Time: 2:05pm – 3:05pm Mauritian Time

Ihueze Nwobilor is a Senior Program Officer at Paradigm Initiative where he leads Paradigm Initiative’s Digital Inclusion programs while working on digital rights advocacy projects. His career in Development Practice spans Twelve years, with cognate experience with Reputable National and International Development Organisations and NGOs. During these years, He has developed competence and expertise in Project Design and Development, Management and Implementation, Social Research, Proposal Writing, Resource Mobilisation, Strategic Litigation, Capacity building, Policy Advocacy, Institutional engagement, Media engagement and Social Communication.
Ihueze is a Fellow of the Nigerian School of Internet Governance. His Digital inclusion and policy work at Paradigm Initiative, spanning over nine years, has impacted over 8000 young persons in over 12 African countries

Country: Nigeria

Chief Data Privacy Officer for the International Finance Corporation (IFC)

Will Higginbothom

Lets Talk: Understanding the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) approach to privacy in the African context

Date: Wednesday 8th November, 2023
Time: 1:30pm -2:15pm Mauritian Time

Will Higginbothom is a seasoned attorney and the Chief Data Privacy Officer for the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group and the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in developing countries. He leads IFC’s global Data Privacy Office, which is responsible for advising IFC’s workforce across more than 100 global offices, including over 25 in Africa, on privacy and personal data issues. Will was the lead author of the current World Bank Group Personal Data Privacy Policy, adopted in 2018, as well as IFC’s privacy risk management policies and practices. In addition to leading IFC’s cross-functional Data Privacy Office, he provides legal advice on broader data issues, including cybersecurity and data incident response. Prior to joining IFC, Will served as transaction counsel both in private practice and in-house, including roles at a small technology start-up and in the data cloud division of a large multinational corporation. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Rhodes College and a law (J.D.) degree from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law

Country: Washington D.C, United States of America

Executive Director of the Ghana Data Protection Commission

Patricia Adusei-Poku

Panel: Fostering Data Protection Regulations in Africa: Overcoming Obstacles and Unlocking Prospects for Collaborative Compliance among Regulatory Bodies, Companies, and Government Institutions

Date: Thursday 9th November, 2023
Time: 1:40am – 2:40pm Mauritian Time

Patricia Adusei-Poku, the Executive Director of the Ghana Data Protection Commission; She is a seasoned privacy practitioner, program manager, information governance and risk expert in the public, private and non-profit sectors globally. Some of her recent appointments include the Head of Data Protection at the London 2012 Olympic Games and Global Director for Data Protection & Privacy at World Vision International.

Currently the Co-Chair (with UK ICO Commissioner, John Edwards) on the Common Thread Network (CTN) of Commonwealth Data Protection Authorities and the President of the Network of African Data Protection Authorities (NADPA). Patricia Chairs the National Statistics Advisory Committee (NSAC) responsible for implementing a statistical system that generates quality data for the Ghana Statistical Service. She is a Member of the Joint Cybersecurity Committee (JCC) responsible for protecting and securing critical National Infrastructure including data.

Patricia is the project Chair for the development of the Ethical AI Framework and the National AI Strategy in Ghana. She also Chairs the project on the development of the Blueprint Data Governance Strategy for the continent and the National Data Governance Strategy.

Patricia holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA – Project Management & Consultancy), MSC-International Public Policy, BSc (Hons) in Computing Science, A Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) issued by the globally recognized International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), Certified Practitioner in European Union General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR). She enjoys reading, travelling and charity work.

Country: Ghana

Dean of the Quality Assurance and Planning Office of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)

Prof. Jerry John Kponyo

Panel: Ethical AI: Safeguarding Privacy in Africa’s IT Landscape – Exploring Opportunities and Challenges for IT Players

Date: Wednesday 8th November, 2023
Time: 11:45am – 12:45pm Mauritian Time

Prof. Jerry John Kponyo is the Dean of the Quality Assurance and Planning Office of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) under the Vice-Chancellor’s Office. He is the former Dean of the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, KNUST. Prior to becoming Dean of the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering he was Head of Electrical Engineering Department. He is currently the Project Lead of the KNUST Engineering Education Project (KEEP), a 5.5 Million Dollar Africa Center of Excellence (ACE) Impact project sponsored by the World Bank with a focus on Digital Development and Energy.

He is Co-Founder of the Responsible AI Network (RAIN) Africa, which is a collaborative effort between KNUST and TUM Germany. Between 2016 and 2019 he was a visiting Professor at ESIGELEC, France on a staff mobility programme where he taught postgraduate courses in Business Intelligence and conducted research with staff of ESIGELEC. He has done extensive research in IoT, intelligent systems and AI and currently leads the Emerging Networks and Technologies Research Laboratory at the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, KNUST which focuses on digital development technologies research.

Prof Kponyo’s Ph.D. research focused on applying AI to solving a traffic problem in Vehicular Ad hoc Networks (VANETs). He has published over 50 articles in refereed Journals and Conference proceedings. He is a member of the Ghana Institution of Engineers. Prof. Jerry John Kponyo is currently the coordinator of the West Africa Sustainable Engineering Network for Development (WASEND). Prof Kponyo is the PI and Scientific Director of the Responsible Artificial Intelligence Lab which is a 1 Million Canadian Dollar grant sponsored by IDRC and GIZ. He is also PI for the Partner-Afrika project which is sponsored by BMZ

Country: Ghana

Partner | Juristconsult Chambers, Mauritius

Shalinee Dreepaul Halkhoree

Panel: Ensuring Privacy and Data Protection in Mobile Banking Digital Payment Platforms: Addressing Challenges and Solutions in Africa

Date: Wednesday 8th November, 2023
Time: 10:35am – 11:35am Mauritian Time

Shalinee Dreepaul Halkhoree started her career as a barrister at Juristconsult Chambers 15 years back, where she is a Partner. Her main areas of practice include corporate & commercial, banking & finance, data protection and intellectual property laws.

Shalinee also regularly advises leading international banks and multinational companies on financing & investment structures and collaterals involving Mauritius vehicles.Shalinee heads the Data Privacy practice at Juristconsult Chambers. Her clients include local and international conglomerates, parastatal bodies, hotel groups, banks, and companies in the financial services sector. Her work involves conducting data privacy compliance exercises, and setting up data privacy frameworks for companies, conducting trainings in data privacy and advising clients on all aspects of data privacy.

Country: Mauritius

Award-winning journalist-Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism and a correspondent for the Associated Press

Sonja Smith

Panel: Preserving Privacy in Investigative Journalism: Exploring the Delicate Balance between Public Interest and Privacy Rights

Date: Wednesday 8th November, 2023
Time: 2:20pm – 3:20pm Mauritian Time

Sonja Smith is an award-winning journalist based in Namibia. She is a member of the Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism and a correspondent for the Associated Press. Smith has worked for various Namibian media outlets, including Confidente, the Windhoek Observer, and The Namibian.

At the 2021 Editors’ Forum of Namibia Journalism Awards, Smith was named Journalist of the Year, and her investigative report “Grape Crops Bring in Millions, Farm Workers Live a Harsh Life” won the Best Agriculture and Environmental Award.

At the annual Merck Foundation Africa Media Recognition Awards early in 2022, she won first place in the print category for the article “The Agony of Infertility,” which details how Namibian women struggled to get pregnant for 10 to 15 years. She is a Pulitzer Center grantee.

Country: Namibia

Senior Associate- ALT Advisory

Wendy Trott

Panel: Tackling Hype in EdTech: how do we make sure limited funding goes to effective intervention?

Date: Tuesday 7th November, 2023
Time: 11:30am – 12:30pm Mauritian Time

Wendy Trott holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Georgia, where she also minored in French, and an M.A. in International Development from Sciences Po Paris, where she majored in African Affairs and Emerging Economies. This helped her develop a deep understanding of the economics of development in the BRICS countries, and an appreciation for the role of social justice and human rights in economic and democratic development.

Previously, Wendy worked in Economic Research with JPAL-Africa, a branch of the global research centre working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence, based out of the University of Cape Town. She also worked with Omidyar Network and subsequently Luminate, a philanthropic organisation that supports innovative initiatives to improve government accountability and civic empowerment across Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa in areas such as independent media and digital rights.

Wendy has also worked with the Center for International Development at the Kennedy School of Governance at Harvard University, and with the Brenthurst Foundation in Johannesburg, South Africa.

As a development economist, Wendy is passionate about achieving authentic, sustainable social justice by empowering the people most affected by inequality and injustice, and finding smart ways to evaluate what really works in the social impact field. She is currently broadening her understanding of the legal aspects of human rights and social justice.

Wendy is working to advance her understanding on the role of strategic litigation to advance social justice, particularly as it relates to womxn, youth and other marginalised communities, and how technology can be a tool for stronger, more inclusive democratic societies in Africa.

Wendy is part of the Data Protection Africa and Democracy 2.0 Special Projects.

Country: South Africa

Investigative Journalist-Lighthouse Report's Surveillance Newsroom

Gabriel Geiger

Panel: Preserving Privacy in Investigative Journalism: Exploring the Delicate Balance between Public Interest and Privacy Rights

Date: Wednesday 8th November, 2023
Time: 2:20pm – 3:20pm Mauritian Time

Gabriel Geiger is an Amsterdam-based investigative journalist specializing in surveillance and algorithmic accountability reporting. His work often grapples with issues of technology and inequality from a global lens. He is currently part of Lighthouse Report’s Surveillance Newsroom where he most recently led an investigation into the use of predictive AI in European welfare systems.

Country: Amsterdam

Chairperson: Information Regulator of South Africa

Advocate Pansy Tlakula

Conversation with Regulators: Fostering Data Protection Regulations in Africa: Overcoming Obstacles and Unlocking Prospects for Collaborative Compliance among Regulatory Bodies, Companies, and Government Institutions

Date: Thursday 9th November, 2023
Time: 1:40am – 2:40pm  Mauritian Time

Adv. Tlakula holds a Bachelor of Law (B.Proc) of the University of the North (now known as the University of Limpopo), Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) of the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and Masters in Law (LL.M) of Harvard University. She also holds a Doctorate in Legal Studies (Honoris Causa) which was conferred to her by the Vaal University of Technology
Ad. Tlakula has held several influential positions. In 1995, she was appointed by the late President Mandela as one of the founding members of the South African Human Rights Commission. She held this position until 2002, when she joined the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) as the Chief Electoral Officer, a position she held until 2011. In 2011 she was appointed as the Chairperson of the IEC until 2014.

Adv. Tlakula was elected as a member of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) at the Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union in 2005. She served the ACHPR for 12 years, until November 2017. She held the mandate of Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa. (Special Rapporteur). From 2015 to 2017, she served as the Chairperson of the ACHPR. In her capacity as the Special Rapporteur, she spearheaded the drafting and adoption by the ACHPR of the Model Law on Access to Information in Africa, whose aim was to assist African countries to draft their national laws on access to information. The Model law assisted to increase the number of African countries with access to information laws from 5 to more than 20 in a period of four years. In 2020, Adv. Tlakula was elected as a member of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

In December 2016, Adv. Tlakula was appointed as the Chairperson of the Information Regulator of South Africa. The Regulator, which consists of five Members, is the first data protection authority in South Africa. It is also responsible for the promotion and protection of the right of access to information. In her capacity as the Chairperson, she led the establishment of the Regulator from scratch. In less than seven years after its establishment, the Regulator is a fully fletched organisation with its own Chief Executive Officer, who leads eighty-nine staff members who are spread across four divisions.
Since its establishment, the Regulator has adopted several Guidelines and Guidance notes to assist public and private bodies to comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). Key amongst these are the Guidelines on the issuing of Codes of Conduct and the Guidance Note on the processing of personal information in the management and containment of the Covid 19 pandemic. The Regulator has to date issued two Codes of Conducts, one for the Banking Association of South Africa and the other for the Credit Bureau Association.

Adv Tlakula has used her experience in elections to ensure that the electoral legislation and processes comply with data protection principles and the right of access to information. For example, she spearheaded the adoption of the Guidance Note on the processing of personal information of a voter by a political party for campaigning purposes. She also influenced the organisation of a colloquium between the Regulator and the Electoral Commission of South Africa, the purpose of which was to identify provisions in the electoral legislation which violated the data protection law. This resulted in the amendment of the electoral law to redact the identity number of voters (which is classified as a unique identifier in POPIA) from the voter’s roll published for inspection purposes. Regarding the right of access to information, the Regulator influenced the amendment of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA), which is one of the few laws globally which applies to both private and public bodies, to include a political party in the definition of a private body. This means that any person can request information from a political party if they require this information to exercise any right.

In July 2021, the enforcement powers of the Regulator came into effect. Within a period of two years after this, the Regulator has established the Enforcement Committee and has referred a few complaints to the Enforcement Committee. It has also issued several Enforcement Notices, including against the South African Police Services. In June 2023, the Regulator issued its first administrative fine of R5m ($277 778.00) against the Department of Justice and Correctional Services for violating POPIA.
In their second term of office, the Members of the Regulator have prioritised taking the Regulator to the communities and has held community meetings in the townships and in rural areas, including those under traditional authorities. We have taken this approach because we regard our mandate as a human rights mandate because the right to privacy forms part of the right to human dignity.

The Information Regulator is a Member of the Network of African Data Protection Authorities and the Global Privacy Assembly (GPA). It also sits on the Data Protection and Other Rights and Freedoms Working Group of the GPA. The Regulator Chairs the African Network of Information Commissioners, which it assisted to establish and is a member of the Executive Committee of the International Conference of Information Commissioners.

Country: South Africa

Media Consultant

Thapelo Ndlovu

Panel: Preserving Privacy in Investigative Journalism: Exploring the Delicate Balance between Public Interest and Privacy Rights

Date: Wednesday 8th November, 2023
Time: 2:20pm – 3:20pm Mauritian Time

Thapelo Ndlovu is media consultant based in Botswana. He is a journalist, media and civil society activist as well as a trainer. Having provided consulting services for various local and international organisations, Ndlovu is a notable thought leader on socio-economic and political issues. He has done researches and facilitated workshops on transparency and media freedom, cybersecurity and digital surveillance, presentation on reporting labour market issues and ILO standards, accessing trade information by persons living with disability, among many others.

His active consultancy is for Public Service International, Internews International (SA), AfDEC (campaign administered by Association for Progressive Communicators) and MISA Regional.
He has been National director of Media Institute of Southern Africa ( MISA Botswana), editor of a national newspaper, Mokgosi, Chairperson of Botswana Council of Non -Governmental Organisations, and board member Press Council of Botswana as well as a trustee of INK Centre for Investigative Journalism.

Country: Botswana

Director and Community Manager of Tanzania AI Lab

Essa Mohamedali

Panel: Ethical AI: Safeguarding Privacy in Africa’s IT Landscape – Exploring Opportunities and Challenges for IT Players

Date: Wednesday 8th November, 2023
Time: 11:45am – 12:45pm Mauritian Time

Essa Mohamedali, Director and Community Manager of Tanzania AI Lab. His primary focus is to assist young people in developing technology skills and providing them with opportunities to apply these skills. Essa has collaborated with the Tanzania Ministry of Health to develop an AI policy framework for the healthcare sector. He is also a certified AI Ethics trainer and has played a role in the development of Nigeria’s National AI Policy

Country: Tanzania

National Personal Data Protection Director in the Personal Data Protection Office, Uganda

Ms. Stella Alibateese

Conversation with Regulators: Fostering Data Protection Regulations in Africa: Overcoming Obstacles and Unlocking Prospects for Collaborative Compliance among Regulatory Bodies, Companies, and Government Institutions

Date: Thursday 9th November, 2023
Time: 1:40am – 2:40pm Mauritian Time

Ms. Stella Alibateese is the National Personal Data Protection Director in the Personal Data Protection Office. The Personal Data Protection office is an independent office set up under National Information Technology Authority, Uganda (NITA-U) to be responsible for personal data protection in Uganda.
She is responsible for the management and operationalisation of the Personal Data Protection Office and is the national focal point for monitoring and assurance of matters related to the implementation of the Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019.
She is a practising advocate with 25 years’ experience with the bulk of it being on policy and regulatory matters in the Public Sector. 10 years of this experience has been in the ICT sector where she has made tremendous contribution to regulation of the ICT sector.
Prior to this appointment, she worked as the Director, Regulation and Legal Services at the National Information Technology Authority, Uganda (NITA-U) where she led teams in the development of Laws (including the Data Protection and Privacy Act 2019) and Legal Instruments for regulation of the ICT sector with a focus on the development of Electronic Government in Uganda. She has also over the years provided excellent in house legal counsel services with a proactive approach.
Stella also worked with the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) for 10 years where she rose to the position of Deputy Corporation Secretary/Ag. Corporation Secretary, at Messrs Hunter and Greig Advocates and Tropical Bank Limited.
She holds a Master of Laws (University of London UK), Post graduate Diploma in Project Planning and Management (Uganda Management Institute), Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (Law Development Centre, Kampala) and a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) (Makerere University).
She is a GIAC Certified Professional: Law of Data Security and Investigations (GLEG), and an IAPP Certified Information Privacy Manager. She is an advocate and Commissioner for Oaths and a member of various professional associations.
Stella is passionate about issues affecting youth and women and believes that through ICT, they can be empowered to develop and harness their talents to overcome the various challenges they face. She is a mentor and a Rotarian.

Country: Uganda

Data Protection Commissioner of the Data Protection Office of Mauritius

Mrs Drudeisha Madhub

Conversation with Regulators: Fostering Data Protection Regulations in Africa: Overcoming Obstacles and Unlocking Prospects for Collaborative Compliance among Regulatory Bodies, Companies, and Government Institutions

Date: Thursday 9th November, 2023
Time: 1:40am – 2:40pm Mauritian Time

Mrs Drudeisha Madhub was appointed Data Protection Commissioner of the Data Protection Office of Mauritius since August 2007. Prior to her appointment, she was Senior State Counsel at the Attorney General’s Office for six and a half years.She is a respected member of various international networks such as: Association Francophone des Autorités de Protection des Données Personelles (AFAPDP), Réseau Africain des Autorités de Protection des Données Personelles (RAAPDP), Global Privacy Enforcement Network (GPEN), Common Thread Network (CTN), the Council of Europe and United Nations Global Pulse.

She was appointed as data protection and human rights expert by Interpol and a member of the Commission for the Control of Interpol’s Files from 2011 to 2018 with the specific function of judging data protection and human rights issues in Interpol’s cases.

Mrs Madhub was appointed UN Emeritus expert, joining the UN Global Pulse Data Advisory Group in 2014 to provide expert advice on data protection.

Moreover, she has published various articles in international journals and guidelines on data protection which are available on the website of the Data Protection Office at the following URL:
http://dataprotection.govmu.org/English/Publications/Pages/Publications.aspx.

Drudeisha is passionate about her work and has cultivated an inner steady source of motivation which constantly drives her to do the best.

Country: Mauritius

Partner at M van Heerden Attorneys, South Africa

Mark Richard Gaffley

Policy Officer, Privacy InternationalSarah

Sarah Simms

Panel: Privacy-Centric Funding: Navigating the Role of Global Fund, WHO, WB, and others in Financing Technological Advancements in the Health Sector amidst Digital Transformation.

Date: Tuesday 7th November, 2023
Time: 10:20am -11:20am

Simms works on PI’s health project maintaining privacy in relation to emerging digital health technologies and access to reproductive rights. As well protecting civic spaces, upholding the right to protest and resisting authoritarian tech.Sarah holds a BA Politics and a LLM Business and Human Rights from Queens University Belfast. Sarah is from Northern Ireland and has experience working across a wide range of human rights issues including reparation for victims of the conflict in Northern Ireland as well as investigatory experience in policing oversight. Prior to PI Sarah was a Policy Officer at the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission where she engaged with the UN human rights mechanisms and worked on disability and gender issues in particular violence against women and girls and access to reproductive rights.

Country: United Kingdom

A Freelance consultant for news organisations and civic technology firms

Adam Oxford

Panel: Preserving Privacy in Investigative Journalism: Exploring the Delicate Balance between Public Interest and Privacy Rights

Date: Wednesday 8th November, 2023
Time: 2:20pm – 3:20pm Mauritian Time

Adam Oxford began his journalism career in the UK technology sector over 25 years ago. He has written extensively around issues of digital security and online privacy, including in-depth reporting on laws such as GDPR and South Africa’s POPIA. Based in Johannesburg for the last 12 years, Adam currently works as a freelance consultant for news organisations and civic technology firms, delivering training, tools and support for data-driven investigations and news product development.

Country: South Africa

Researcher

Kudakwashe Hove

Panel: Navigating the intersection: Emerging technologies and citizen’s rights in Africa.

Date: Wednesday 8th November, 2023
Time: 3:30pm – 4:30pm Mauritian Time

Kuda Hove is a researcher with over a decade of experience in Information Technology law and policy work. His work is focused on reducing the potential harms that various digital technologies pose for the enjoyment of fundamental rights particularly the right to human dignity, the right to privacy, and the right to free expression. Kuda holds a Masters in IT Law and has previously led Digital Rights work at the Media Institute of Southern Africa, Privacy International and Consumers International.

Country: Zimbabwe

Legal and ICT Policy Officer for MISA Zimbabwe

Helen Sithole

Moderator: Navigating the intersection: Emerging technologies and citizen’s rights in Africa.

Date: Wednesday 8th November, 2023
Time: 3:30pm – 4:30pm Mauritian Time

Helen Sithole is the Legal and ICT Policy Officer for MISA Zimbabwe. She is a legal professional with extensive experience of policy research and analysis across Southern Africa focused on the effects of technologies on the enjoyment of fundamental rights. She is dedicated to advocating for effective policies that address the legal and regulatory challenges of the digital age. She holds a Bachelor of laws degree and a Post Graduate Certificate in AI Policy.

Country: Zimbabwe

Legal Advisor for Digital Rights at the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law

Shabnam Mojtahedi

Moderator: Navigating the intersection: Emerging technologies and citizen’s rights in Africa.

Date: Wednesday 8th November, 2023
Time: 3:30pm – 4:30pm Mauritian Time

Shabnam Mojtahedi is the Legal Advisor for Digital Rights at the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) where she analyzes the impact of technology on civic space and promotes an enabling environment for civil society in the digital realm. Prior to joining ICNL, Shabnam worked with Benetech’s Human Rights Program, leading efforts to apply artificial intelligence to human rights and war crimes investigations in Syria and beyond. For over four years she was the Legal and Strategy Analyst with the Syria Justice and Accountability Centre (SJAC) where she developed policies, reports, and methodologies for SJAC’s documentation, data analysis, and transitional justice work as well as strategies on how to leverage new technologies and social media to assist in the documentation and analysis of human rights violations. She holds a J.D. from American University’s Washington College of Law.

Country: United States of America

Attorney (New York and Cameroon Bar Association) Bio:

Igxtelle M. A Dopgima

Moderator: “Let’s Talk, “Conversation with Regulators and Women in Privacy Meet Up”

Date: Wednesday 8th November, 2023, Tuesday 7th November, 2023, Thursday 9th November, 2023 Respectively

Igxtelle Mbah Acha, Esq, is an attorney licensed to practice law in New York and a Barrister at Law and member of the Cameroon Bar Association. She is currently the Lead Counsel for Global Privacy Compliance at Meta Platforms, Inc.
She is an Entrepreneur and the founder of The Association of Privacy Lawyers in Africa, a professional organization of legal practitioners of African descent working on data privacy law in Africa.
Igxtelle is co founded a real estate development company called Build It For You which completes real estate development projects for the diaspora.
Igxtelle Is an international speaker on various stages on a number of topics such as self development, self assessment, resilience and determination.

Country: Cameroon

Executive Director of the Mauritius Emerging Technologies CouncilSeasoned global professional

Vrigesh Futta

Moderator: Ethical AI: Safeguarding Privacy in Africa’s IT Landscape – Exploring Opportunities and Challenges for IT Players

Date: Wednesday 8th November, 2023
Time: 11:45am – 12:45pm Mauritian Time

Seasoned global professional who has dedicated a significant portion of his career to collaborating with leaders across diverse sectors throughout the African continent. With a deep passion for leveraging technology to achieve strategic objectives, Vrigesh has successfully partnered with organizations in industries ranging from mining, finance, manufacturing, retail, and government entities across the world. Throughout his journey, Vrigesh has had the privilege of working closely with some of Africa’s most prominent and successful organizations, most of which boast annual turnovers exceeding 1 billion USD. His extensive experience and expertise have earned him numerous accolades during his tenure at Gartner, the number one global technology research and advisory firm. With a background in both Innovation and Leadership, Vrigesh possesses a comprehensive understanding of driving technological transformative change in organizations. Currently, Vrigesh is at the helm of the Mauritius Emerging Technologies Council, where he holds the position of Executive Director. Entrusted with a mission to foster and facilitate the growth and integration of emerging technologies, in enhancing the Mauritian economy and society. Role, he took in February of 2023, before which he was based in Cape Town, South Africa.

Country: Mauritius

Data Protection Analyst at BDO ITC , Mauritius

Sakshi Dewoo

Panel: Ethical AI: Safeguarding Privacy in Africa’s IT Landscape – Exploring Opportunities and Challenges for IT Players

Date: Wednesday 8th November, 2023
Time: 11:45am – 12:45pm Mauritian Time

Sakshi Dewoo holds a Bachelor of Laws with Honours from the University of Mauritius, a PGDL from Leeds Beckett University and is also a PECB certified Data Protection Officer.She has been working as a Data Protection Analyst at BDO ITC for the past two years, during which she has assisted companies from different sectors such as banking, IT and manufacturing amongst others, in building and implementing a strong data protection framework. Sakshi is also leading assignments of acting as outsourced Data Protection Officer for different clients whereby she has achieved practical experience in the implementation of key privacy concepts such as Privacy By Design, performing Data Protection Impact Assessments, Consent Management as well as Data Breach Management.She is an experienced trainer who has led and delivered several privacy workshops, trainings, and webinars for the Mauritian and East African audiences.

Country: Mauritius

Director-General of the Regulatory Authority for Telecommunications of Cote d'Ivoire (ARTCI)Mrs.

Mrs. Toure Namahoua

Conversation with Regulators: Fostering Data Protection Regulations in Africa: Overcoming Obstacles and Unlocking Prospects for Collaborative Compliance among Regulatory Bodies, Companies, and Government Institutions

Date: Thursday 9th November, 2023
Time: 1:40am – 2:40pm Mauritian Time

Toure Namahoua is Born on February 2, 1968, in Côte d’Ivoire, Namahoua Bamba Touré is an expert in regulation, policy, and strategy related to electronic communications and the digital economy.After obtaining a Baccalaureate in the C Series in 1986 from Lycée Sainte Marie de Cocody, Namahoua Bamba Touré headed to France. In 1989, she joined École Baggio in Lille for a preparatory program for top engineering schools. In 1992, she earned a Master’s in Business Sciences from the University Paris-IX Dauphine in Paris and a Superior Diploma in Telecommunications Management from Institut National des Télécommunications in Evry.Mrs. Namahoua Bamba Touré has accumulated 30 years of experience, with increasing responsibilities at national and international levels, mainly in Africa. She has worked with an operator, a regulator, an intergovernmental organization, and an international development organization.With significant expertise in telecommunications regulation, she led the implementation of reforms in the telecommunications sector. She developed and implemented policies and procedures conducive to effective regulations, designed and executed complex infrastructure projects and public-private partnerships. She also successfully conducted technical assistance missions in African countries to design and establish policies and regulations supporting the development of open-access broadband infrastructures.Formerly the Director-General at the Ministry of Digital Economy, Telecommunications, and Innovation, Ms. Namahoua Bamba Touré has been the Director-General of the Regulatory Authority for Telecommunications of Cote d’Ivoire (ARTCI) since April 2022.Married and a mother of two children, Ms. Namahoua Bamba Touré is passionate about cinema and architecture. She is also committed to poverty reduction and improving the living conditions of vulnerable populations.

Country: Cote d’ Ivoire

Senior D4D Expert-GIZ

Lucrezia Biteete

Panel: Tackling Hype in EdTech: how do we make sure limited funding goes to effective intervention?

Date: Tuesday 7th November, 2023
Time: 11:30am – 12:30pm Mauritian Time

Lucrezia has been active in the education sector in Africa for almost 20 years, and in the tech sector for 10 years. She built up the software development company Laboremus in Uganda and then moved on to founding Refactory, a coding academy in Kampala. She has been actively engaged in data protection in Uganda, and was part of the initial pilot of Emata, today a successful Fintech. Currently she works through GIZ with the D4D Hub, an initiative by the European Commission and member states to drive inclusive digital transformation across Africa, where she is part of political discussions around data protection and has organised several events on this topic. Lucrezia is also a board member of Diwala, having supported the blockchain start-up active in the education certification space since its arrival in Uganda.BIO: She has over 20 years in the education sector and about 10 in the tech space where she has been actively engaged in data protection. She built up the software development company Laboremus in Uganda and then moved on to founding Refactory, a coding academy in Kampala.

Country: Uganda

Head of Technology and Human Rights, Resource Centre

Gayatri Khandhadai

Moderator: Preserving Privacy in Investigative Journalism: Exploring the Delicate Balance between Public Interest and Privacy Rights

Date: Wednesday 8th November, 2023
Time: 2:20pm – 3:20pm Mauritian Time

Gaya joined the Resource Centre in February 2022 as the Head of Technology and Human Rights. She is a lawyer with a background in international law and human rights, international and regional human rights mechanisms, research, and advocacy. She previously worked with national and regional human rights groups, focusing on freedom of expression.More recently she worked as the Asia Policy Regional Coordinator at the Association for Progressive Communications where her focus was on digital rights and policy in Asia with specific emphasis on freedoms of expression, religion, assembly and association on the internet. Her areas of expertise include capacity building, network support, policy advocacy on regulations and adoption of human rights-based approach to internet governance.She holds an M.A. in International Law and Human Rights from the University for Peace, Costa Rica and a B.A. BL (Hons) from the Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University, India.

Country: India

Program Manager, Council of Europe

Anne Boyer-Donnard

Program Manager- Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV and AIDs (KELIN)

Timothy Wafula

Legal Officer:, Privacy International

Dr. Tom West

Panel: Privacy-Centric Funding: Navigating the Role of Global Fund, WHO, WB, and others in Financing Technological Advancements in the Health Sector amidst Digital Transformation.

Date: Tuesday 7th November, 2023
Time: 10:20am -11:20am

Tom’s work primarily relates to the impact of big tech and new tech on privacy, in particular in relation to health, employment and data brokerage.Prior to PI, Tom has worked within the environmental law sector, at NGO ClientEarth and in the Secretariat of the UNECE Aarhus Convention, and on legislative processes at the Hansard Society for parliamentary democracy. His education includes a PhD in International Environmental and Human Rights Law and an MSc in Law and Environmental Science both from the University of Nottingham and a BSc in Mathematics from the University of Warwick.

Country: United Kingdom

Investigative journalist and producer for the prestigious Carte Blanche TV show in South Africa

Latashia Naidoo

Senior Data Protection Officer |Data Protection Office, Mauritius

Mr R. Mukoon

Panel: Ensuring Privacy and Data Protection in Mobile Banking Digital Payment Platforms: Addressing Challenges and Solutions in Africa

Date: Wednesday 8th November, 2023
Time: 10:35am – 11:35am Mauritian Time

Mukoon, is a MSc holder from Greenwich University, London. More than 29 years in the field on Information Technology. 11 years’ experience in the field of privacy and data protection enforcement such as data breaches, investigations of complaints, carrying out periodical audits of the systems of controllers or processors and certification of organisations in data protection. Championing the e-DPO system of the Data Protection Office.

Country: Mauritius

Journalist and Director of Media Expertise (Switzerland).

Jean-Luc Mootoosamy

Panel: Preserving Privacy in Investigative Journalism: Exploring the Delicate Balance between Public Interest and Privacy Rights

Date: Wednesday 8th November, 2023
Time: 2:20pm – 3:20pm Mauritian Time

Jean-Luc Mootoosamy,a Swiss and Mauritian national, holder of a master’s degree in Information and Communication, Jean-Luc Mootoosamy has 25 years’ experience as journalist with 15 years in the management of media projects in conflict areas in Africa. Mr. Mootoosamy is presently the main media expert for of the French Media Development Agency (CFI) for the Indian Ocean Commission’s “Governance, Peace and Stability” project.

Mr. Mootoosamy has contributed in the development of projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and South Sudan (as station manager and project manager of United Nations Missions’ radios), in the Central African Republic as head of the most popular radio station in the country, and also for short-term assignments – in Senegal on migration issues, in Côte d’Ivoire on media sustainability, in the Sahel region, around Lake Chad, for an assessment mission, in Rwanda and Togo for journalists’ training.

In Mauritius, Mr. Mootoosamy was among the founding member of Radio One, the country’s first private radio station in 2002. As Editor in chief, he accompanied, trained, and supervised a team of around fifteen young journalists. Mr. Mootoosamy worked also as reporter for “Le Mauricien” daily newspaper and as correspondent of Réunion La 1ère (public media in Réunion Island).

Mr. Mootoosamy collaborates regularly with development and media organizations in Africa – Internews, African Media Initiative, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance – as speaker and trainer in election coverage, conflict-sensitive journalism and media sustainability. He contributed to the establishment of Radio Jeunesse Sahel, media of the International Organization of La Francophonie in partnership with the G5 Sahel for the youth in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Chad, and Mauritania.

Accredited to the Vatican on specific events, Mr. Mootoosamy is regularly admitted on board papal flights to cover Pope Francis’ Apostolic Journeys (Portugal, The Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan in 2023, Canada in 2022 and Mozambique, Madagascar, and Mauritius in 2019).

In 2017, Mr. Mootoosamy founded Media Expertise, a consultancy offering media solutions, training, and tailor-made interventions in crisis zones, to contribute is capacity building of media personnel in conflict zones.

Country: Mauritius

Head of Information Society Department Council of Europe

Patrick Penninckx

Panel: Convention on the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data (T-PD) by the Council of Europe.

Date: Thursday 9th November, 2023
Time: 10:30am – 11:30am GMT+4

Patrick Penninckx has spent the last 30 years of his career with the Council of Europe, contributing to the transformation processes of the Organisation and developing partnerships with international and national institutions.

Currently heading the Information Society Department under the Directorate General Human Rights and the Rule of Law, Patrick coordinates standard setting and cooperation activities in the fields of media, internet governance, data protection, cybercrime and artificial intelligence.

He is also responsible for projects related to public-private partnerships and cooperation with business partners.His professional focus encompasses areas such as freedom of expression, safety of journalists, sound internet governance, international standards in the data protection, action against cybercrime and the impact of AI on human rights.

An outspoken public speaker promoting the Council of Europe values and
achievements, he holds Political Science and Educational degrees from the University of Leuven. Previously, Patrick oversaw Human Resources policy development, transforming the administrative management of personnel into a competency based human resource policy. Patrick is fluent in English, French, German, Spanish and Dutch.

She is the 2nd Vice Chair |Council of Europe Consultative | Committee of Convention 108

Awa N’Diaye

Panel: Convention on the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data (T-PD) by the Council of Europe.

Date: Thursday 9th November, 2023
Time: 10:30am – 11:30am GMT+4

Mrs. Awa NDIAYE, who holds a PhD in French Literature (Sorbonne) and a Diplôme Supérieur d’Etudes Diplomatiques, has been the President of the Commission de Protection des Données Personnelles (CDP) since 2016.

Ms Ndiaye has been a member of the Senegalese government several times.She was Minister of State, in charge of Culture, Gender and Living Environment, Minister of State, in charge of Gender and Relations with African and International Women’s Organisations, and Minister of Family, Social Action, National Solidarity, Women’s Entrepreneurship and Microfinance.

Awa Ndiaye is a technical advisor to national, regional and international institutions and is also a lecturer in the Department of Modern Literature at the Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar

Country: Senegal