Digital Dialogue: Local Innovation vs. Big Tech Control: Building Digital Sovereignty

Описание: Africa’s digital transformation is rapidly unfolding, fuelled by both local innovation and growing investment from global technology giants. While initiatives from companies like Google and Meta aim to expand access and bridge the digital divide, they also raise pressing questions about power, control, and dependency.

This Digital Dialogue explores how African innovators, policymakers, and communities can shape a future of digital self-determination, where growth is driven by local priorities and not external corporate interests.

Key discussion themes include:

Digital Empowerment or Dependency? Examining the implications of Big Tech’s connectivity and infrastructure programs on local innovation, governance, and data autonomy.

Local Innovation in Practice: Highlighting examples of African-led solutions in EdTech, health, and agriculture that prioritise open access, local ownership, and contextual relevance.

Data Governance and Sovereignty: Exploring how communities can control and protect their data while promoting inclusive access to digital services.

Building Sustainable Digital Ecosystems: Identifying the policies, partnerships, and funding mechanisms that can support scalable, locally grounded innovation.

Panellists:

Rachel Firestone is a solution designer, digital transformation expert, and community advocate living in Berlin, Germany, who works at the point where technology and community voices meet to co-create ethical, scalable solutions to societal problems. Specializing in health, civilian protection, and education, her work focuses on design and strategy, stakeholder engagement, and user training to foster sustainable, last-mile digital ecosystems and enable digital self-determination and data sovereignty.

Phillip Ayazika is a technologist and learning facilitator based in Kampala, Uganda, who leverages data, design, and technology to drive inclusive governance and digital transformation across Africa. Phillip currently serves as the Director of Programs at Pollicy, where he leads initiatives that reshape how African communities harness data and technology to amplify their voices and advance equitable development.