• The African Union Commission launched a four-day validation workshop for Continental Data Governance Frameworks in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

• The workshop focuses on data categorisation and sharing, cross-border data flows, and open data.

• The frameworks aim to protect sensitive data while enabling secure cross-border sharing, supporting AfCFTA and digital trade, promoting open data, and creating a trusted, rights-respecting African data ecosystem.

The African Union Commission officially launched a four-day Validation Workshop for the Continental Data Governance Frameworks in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The workshop, taking place from December 1-4, 2025, brings together experts from AU Member States, Regional Economic Communities, and key partners to review and finalize the draft frameworks on Data Categorization & Data Sharing, Cross-Border Data Flows, and the Continental Open Data Strategy.

"Data is not just a resource; it is the bedrock of Africa's digital transformation and economic future," stated Souhila Amazouz, Officer in Charge of the Information Society Division at the AUC. "This workshop could not have come at a better time, ensuring we collectively develop adequate frameworks and instruments to responsibly, safely, and ethically use data to achieve fair and inclusive representation in digital space and ensure economic benefit for all Africans."

Core to this agenda are three frameworks. The Data Categorisation and Sharing Framework sets common standards to protect sensitive and critical data while enabling responsible access for innovation and public benefit. The Cross-Border Data Flow Framework creates trusted mechanisms for secure, seamless data movement among Member States, advancing AfCFTA goals and speeding digital trade. The Open Data Strategy guides Member States to build transparent, efficient, innovation-ready public data systems that unlock economic and social value and provide data to deploy and advance AI in Africa.

Together, the Frameworks aim to harmonize Africa’s fragmented digital regulations, making it easier and safer to share data across borders. By strengthening the continent’s capacity to govern and utilize data effectively, these frameworks will support privacy, unlock economic opportunities, and help build a trusted, future-ready ecosystem that fosters innovation and protects citizens.

"The frameworks we are validating this week are essential building blocks towards a trusted, interoperable, and rights-respecting African data ecosystem," said Dr. Tobias Thiel, Director of the GIZ Office to the African Union. "We are committed to supporting the African Union in establishing common standards and promoting Open Data as a true driver of socio-economic value for the continent."

By 2050, Africa’s digital economy is projected to reach $712 billion, or about 8.5% of the continent’s GDP, up from 4.5% in 2020, according to the Google–IFC report e‑Conomy Africa 2020: Africa’s $180 Billion Internet Economy Future. In parallel, a joint World Bank and World Trade Organization study estimates that Africa’s digital services exports could rise by 74 billion dollars between 2023 and 2040, doubling the region’s share of global digital trade. These trends underline why coherent continental data governance is critical. Robust, trusted data rules are now a precondition for capturing this growth.

Hikmatu Bilali