Programme

Technology: The Present and Future of Political Action in Africa

Agenda

TIME & SESSIONS

[8:00 – 9:30 am]

Arrival / Registration / Breakfast

[9:30 – 10:00 am (30 mins)]

Opening Session

Opening Remarks by Compere – Tolu Adeleru-Balogun, Head of Programmes, News Central TV

Opening Remarks by hosts – Opeyemi Adamolekun, ED, EiE Nigeria  & Gabriel Okeowo, Country Director, BudgIT, Nigeria

[10:00 – 10:45 am (45 mins)]

Keynote Address – Technology as a Catalyst for Political Action in Africa

Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN,
Guardian, Timbuktu Africa Innovation Foundation and Former Vice President of Nigeria

[11:00 am – 12:15 pm (1 hr 15 mins )]

Opening Plenary: The Intersection of Technology, New Media, and Political Action in Africa: Demand and Supply Perspectives

Panelists

  • Hannah Kates, Head, Stears Open Data (American in Nigeria)
  • Mutemi Wai Kiama, Co-Chair, Africans Rising Movement Coordinating Collective (Kenya)
  • Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy  (Nigeria)
  • Mohamed Farahat,  UN Secretary-General Panel on Artificial Intelligence (Egypt)
  • Mondli Gungubele, Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Transformation Technologies (South Africa)

Moderator –  Morayo Afolabi-Brown, Managing Director, TVC Entertainment

[12:15 – 1:00 pm (45  mins)]

Special Spotlight Session: 25 Years of Democracy in Nigeria in the 4th Republic

(a) Demand-Driven Political Action in Nigeria: From Radio Kudirat to TikTok & AI – Tunji Lardner

(b) Supply-Side Political Action in Nigeria: Lagos State as a Case Study – Sholabomi  Shasore

Reflections  – Prof Yemi Osinbajo, SAN

Facilitator Morayo Afolabi-Brown, Managing Director, TVC Entertainment

Concurrent Breakout Sessions (Demand and Supply Sides) – 1:10 – 2:10 pm (1 hr)

Breakout Session (A): Technology and Political Action in Africa: Present Realities and Future Possibilities

{This breakout session will feature individuals who are already leveraging technology for political action in Africa}

Panelists

  • Lidet Tadesse Shiferaw, Head, Peace Security &  Resilience, ECDPM (Ethiopia)
  • Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, MD, Future Africa (Nigeria)
  • Ousman Kallay, Country Director, iLAB  Liberia (Liberia)
  • Richard Muraya, Founder of The Demography Project (Kenya)

ModeratorIsabella Adediji, Founder and CEO, Yellow Taramind Productions

——-

Breakout Session (B): Emerging Technologies for Enhanced Governance and Electoral Integrity in Africa

Panelists

  • Geci Karuri-Sebina, Associate Professor – Wits School of Governance (South Africa)
  • Dr. Grace Githaiga, CEO, Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) (Kenya)
  • Peterking Quaye, Executive Director, West Africa ICT Action Network (Liberia)
  • Melanie Du Plessis, Manager, Business Systems at Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC)
  • Director, ICT – Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) (Nigeria)

ModeratorSamson Itodo, Executive Director, Yiaga Africa

[2:15 – 3:00 pm (45 mins)]

Lunch Break

[3:10 – 3:55 pm (45 mins)]

Closing Plenary: Relevance of the Private Sector as Technology Innovators and Connectors

Featured Speakers

  • Enyo Kumahor, Founder and Managing Partner, Cobalt Partners (Ghana)
  • Gbenga Sesan, Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative (PIN), (Nigeria)
  • Sally Lumadi Mwenesi, Principal Officer, Ethics and Compliance, Safaricom (Kenya)

ModeratorAyo Mairo-Ese, Anchor, Arise TV

[4:00 – 4:40 pm (40 mins)]

Content Creators Competition in partnership with TASCK

{Creatives will produce 2-minute skits revealing how arrests and prisons define freedom, posting content across social media, with the top 5 creators earning live pitch opportunities}

Panel of Judges

  • MI Abaga, Nigerian Rapper, Song Writer and Producer
  • Keziah Mallam, Singer, Song Writer and Producer
  • Peter Akah, Content Creator
  • Blaqbonez, Nigerian Rapper and Singer
  • Anto Lecky, Educator, Entertainer and Entrepreneur

[4:40 – 4:50 pm (10 mins)]

Closing Remarks: Connecting the Dots – Academia, Private Sector, Government, and Civil Society

  • Opeyemi Adamolekun, ED, EiE Nigeria

Code of Conduct

The Conference on Technology, New Media, Citizens and Governance (TNCG) is an annual gathering of stakeholders from the Internet governance and online rights arenas in Africa and beyond. Inaugurated in 2014, the Forum is a platform for stakeholders to deliberate on gaps, concerns and opportunities for advancing privacy, access to information, free expression, non-discrimination and the free flow of information online. Key to the event is the engagement on strategies to push back against surveillance, censorship, shutdowns and inequality in access and use of the internet.

Interactions at TNCG2024 include many different opinions and experiences hence it is essential to uphold respect and ensure comfortable participation for all attendees, staff and support personnel. Accordingly, harassment and disruption of any kind is not tolerated. We will take action in response to harassment related, but not limited, to national origin, gender, gender identity and expression, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical characteristics, disability, religion, and age. This Code of Conduct applies to Forum events and all Forum-related social events such as parties, gatherings at restaurants, bars and hotels. It also covers the conduct of participants on online platforms during the Forum. The Code of Conduct is aimed at building a community that is free from intimidation, discrimination, or hostility by upholding dignity, decency, and respect among participants.

Participation at TNCG2024 and all related events and online platforms implies agreement to this Code of Conduct. All attendees, speakers, sponsors and volunteers at the Forum are required to adhere to this Code of Conduct. Failure to respect the Code of Conduct could result in expulsion from the event, law enforcement intervention and/or legal action in some circumstances. Further, the TNCG2024 organising team reserves the right to sanction offending individuals from attendance of all future Forums.

Reporting Incidents

Should a participant feel harassed, notice the harassment of another participant or have suspicions or concerns around the same, they can reach out to organisers in confidence through the following means:

All reports will be treated with utmost confidentiality. Participants will not be requested to take action that may compromise their safety. Where necessary, the #TNCG organising team will swiftly engage venue security or local law enforcement, or otherwise assist in maintaining order and guarantee safety of the participants for the duration of the conference.

Unacceptable Behaviour

Words and actions that constitute unacceptable behaviour may occur online or in person. Examples of unacceptable behaviours include but are not limited to:

  • Verbal comments that reinforce oppression and stereotypes related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, age or religion (or lack thereof);
  • Imitating or mocking of accents, or giving unsolicited corrections to grammatical errors;
  • Verbal threats or demands;
  • Sexualised images in public spaces;
  • Intimidation and victimisation;
  • Stalking;
  • Unsolicited photography or recording;
  • Sustained disruption of sessions or events;
  • Unwelcome physical contact or sexual attention;
  • Drugging food or drink;
  • Violating the Forum privacy policy in order to attract negative attention to a participant;
  • Enlisting the help of others, whether in person or online, in order to target a participant;
  • Threats of violence or incitement of violence;
  • Advocating for or encouraging any of the above behaviour.

Guide to Communication

The Conference on Technology, New Media, Citizens and Governance (TNCG) is an international, multidisciplinary forum with complex and contested topics. The Forum draws participants that speak multiple languages and use terms from various fields of study. While English (with sign language interpretation and French translation) will often be the medium of communication, differences in dialect, accent, and pronunciation will be common. Multilingualism will be encouraged at the Forum. We encourage all participants to approach the Forum with open and positive attitudes and to engage constructively and exercise empathy at all times. The following are the proposed communication guidelines:

  • Speak clearly and at a moderate pace.
  • Be an active listener, and be patient with participants who are speaking English as a second language.
  • Avoid jargon and recognise that participants will not use the same terms and may not be familiar with some acronyms.
  • Address ideas. Do not attack the contributor’s person.
  • Disagreements will occur, it’s okay to walk away from a conversation that isn’t fruitful or is becoming tense.
  • If you are not convinced by or hold a strong position against a solution and/or intervention by someone else, explain why, and propose an alternative.
  • Remember that any group identity is complex and members are not homogenous.
  • We recognise that insights by participants are shared on online platforms. However, some participants may not want their pictures and/or names shared on social media platforms. Upon commencement of an intervention, speakers should indicate their attribution requests.

Incident Response Team

The following individuals form the Conference on Technology, New Media, Citizens and Governance (TNCG) 2024 edition Code of Conduct Incident Response Committee:

  • Perewari Itaita: +2348161762279 (available on WhatsApp)
  • Tosin Adeyemi: +2348035637325 (available on WhatsApp)

Should any of the response team members be directly or indirectly involved in an incident of misconduct, they will immediately be withdrawn from the team handling the report/query.

Privacy Policy

In recognising the need to promote and protect participants’ rights to privacy and freedom of expression, the following rules must be followed:

  • Participants must wear their name tags inside the Forum venue at all times.
  • Do not tweet, post, or publish information about participants in a way that suggests stalking, offensive communication or bullying.
  • Pictures, audio and/or video recordings of the Forum will not be used for commercial purposes.