Data Science Africa(DSA)’s Post

At the just concluded Data Science Africa(DSA) Uganda Chapter at Mountains of the Moon University in #Fortportal, I was engaged in a discussion on “Navigating the Data Landscape: Governance as the Key to Unlocking Trust, Innovation, and Transformative Development.” It was an insightful exchange with panelists Johnstone Baguma, Executive Director of ToroDev; Martin Mubangizi - PhD, Head of Office at UN Global Pulse; and Doreen Gift Bujjingo, Infrastructure Engineer at MinICT&NG. Here is a glimpse of our discussion in 3 questions. Question: Is data governance a sole responsibility of the government?  Doreen: Data governance spans various roles, including data collectors, creators, users, intermediaries, and regulators. These roles represent different stakeholders who must be involved in data governance discussions. Question: What are some of the challenges caused by a lack of data governance guidelines? Johnstone: The absence of data governance guidelines leads to issues of data misuse but also hinders innovators, researchers, and other data users from utilizing data effectively, leading to missed opportunities. Question: Will data governance alone be sufficient to maximize the value of data? Martin: Infrastructure, people, culture, and strategic data utilization are some of the other crucial factors. We must cultivate a data-use culture to enhance the entire data landscape, which is something we are trying to achieve with Uganda’s national data strategy. We concluded by encouraging DSA participants to actively use data, as increased usage drives demand, leading to more investment in infrastructure and, ultimately, better governance. Thanks to DSA and DSA Uganda Chapter for providing the platform for such and other vital conversations.