By:
Robert Kwaku Annor
Sierra Leone’s Ministry of
Communication, Technology and Innovation has trained the technical team of the
Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) on artificial
intelligence and data protection by design as the country advances its digital
government agenda.
The training, delivered by
the Ministry together with its Legal Adviser and AI and Digital Public Goods
Lead, focused on strengthening the capacity of government technical personnel
to incorporate privacy, security and accountability into the design and deployment
of digital systems.
The programme forms part of
the Ministry’s broader efforts to implement the National Data Strategy and
advance the development of digital public infrastructure.
The Ministry said the
National Data Strategy seeks to move beyond policy commitments by treating data
as a public asset and translating that principle into practical database
design, infrastructure and governance.
Sierra Leone is also
developing its Digital Public Infrastructure agenda through partnerships,
including collaboration with Bhutan’s National Digital Identity initiative and
the SIGN Foundation on digital identity.
The initiatives are intended
to support trusted digital identity systems and interoperable data exchange
while adhering to international privacy and security standards.
During the training,
participants examined approaches to minimising unnecessary data collection and
protecting sensitive information, including the National Identification Number.
The technical team was also
taken through its obligations under the Cybersecurity and Crime Act, the
National Civil Registration Act and the forthcoming Data Protection and Right
to Access Information Act.
The Ministry said
strengthening digital government frameworks remains a priority as Sierra Leone seeks
to improve efficiency and promote data-driven decision-making across the public
sector.
It added that effective
digital transformation depends on three fundamental pillars: law, security and
accountability.
