November 19, 2025 – Accra: Paradigm Initiative (PIN) and partners convened a stakeholder engagement session to deepen understanding of Ghana’s Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038) and examine its implications for digital rights, information integrity, and national cyber governance.
The event took place at the Accra City Hotel on Wednesday, November 19, 2025. Participants included government agencies, civil society organisations, academia, the media, and cybersecurity professionals. The engagement provided a platform to discuss gaps, opportunities, and human-rights-based approaches to cybersecurity implementation in Ghana.
Opening & Digital Rights Discussions
The Programmes Officer of Paradigm Initiative, Saani Suleiman, led an introductory conversation on digital rights, highlighting the importance of safeguarding online freedoms.
He introduced Paradigm Initiative’s digital rights tools and resources, including:
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- RIPOTI: Platform for reporting and documenting digital rights violations
- AYETA: PIN’s digital security toolkit
- Londa.Africa: An annual report assessing the digital rights and freedoms landscape across African countries.
- NetRights Coalition (NRC): a coalition of internet freedom activists sharing knowledge and collaborating on rights-based digital policies.
His session emphasised the role of rights awareness and civil society collaboration in strengthening digital governance.
Governance, Accountability & Oversight under Act 1038
The Deputy Director-General of the Cybersecurity Authority, Dr Jamal Seidu Tonzua, provided an overview of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038), explaining its key provisions and the structures it establishes for national cybersecurity governance.
Key points included:
- The Act focuses on safeguarding critical information infrastructure.
- Ongoing efforts and institutional arrangements have been created to coordinate cybersecurity responses, including the Cybersecurity Authority (CSA) and sector-based industry forums, to strengthen oversight, improve incident response mechanisms, and enhance national cyber resilience.
His session underscored the role of the CSA in ensuring security, trust, and accountability across Ghana’s digital ecosystem.
Cybersecurity, Privacy and Freedom of Expression
The Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative, Gbenga Sesan, discussed the increasing complexity of information disorder, from misinformation to disinformation and malinformation, explaining how these phenomena undermine democracy, public trust, and citizen safety.
He noted growing cyber threats such as phishing, ransomware, identity theft, and attacks that affect both individuals and institutions.
Key insights
- He stressed that Cybersecurity should never be used to undermine human rights. Instead, strong cybersecurity should strengthen privacy, support freedom of expression, and protect users from surveillance, data misuse, and insecure systems.
- He encouraged proactive information sharing and good cyber hygiene, noting that: “If you don’t provide proactive information, you leave room for misinformation.”
- He concluded by stressing the importance of sustained stakeholder engagement as an essential strategy for reducing harmful content and improving digital resilience.
Information Integrity and the Fight Against Digital Disinformation
The Editor at FactSpace West Africa, Alfa Shaban Abdur Rahman, highlighted the growing challenge of digital disinformation in Ghana and the critical role of fact-checking in safeguarding public discourse.
He discussed common disinformation trends and the need for strengthening national information integrity.
Global Cybersecurity Standards and International Cooperation
A Legal Practitioner at ACE Consultancy, Joyce Awuah-Sarpong, provided a comprehensive review of international norms, legal frameworks, and cooperative mechanisms guiding global cybersecurity governance.
Key international frameworks & legal instruments included:
- UN GGE – United Nations Group of Governmental Experts
- UN OEWG – United Nations Open-Ended Working Group
- Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, and the First & Second Additional Protocols.
- AU Malabo Convention
- Cybersecurity Standards
- ITU Global Cybersecurity Agenda
- Tallinn Manual – interpretations of international law as applied to cyber warfare.
- International Human Rights Law, including ICCPR
She also touched on data protection, privacy norms, and the need for Ghana to align its national systems with these international frameworks.
Child Online Protection and Ethical Governance
Executive Director of Targeted Rights Initiative, Doreen Raheena Sulleyman, highlighted key risks children face online, including exposure to harmful content, exploitation, cyberbullying, and unsafe digital interactions.
She explained the child protection provisions under Sections 83-88 of Act 1038, which form Ghana’s Child Online Protection (COP) framework.
This engagement provided a valuable opportunity to analyse Act 1038 through the lenses of human rights, governance, and information integrity. Participants emphasised that effective cybersecurity must balance national security needs with the protection of privacy, expression, and civic participation.
Key Themes
Across the sessions, several recurring themes emerged, including:
- The need for rights-respecting cybersecurity that protects users while safeguarding freedoms.
- Importance of transparency, trust, and accountability in cyber regulation.
- Alignment with international cybersecurity norms and cooperative frameworks.
- Strengthening public awareness and reporting systems, especially for vulnerable groups like children.
- The crucial role of multi-stakeholder engagement in shaping effective and legitimate cyber policies.
Paradigm Initiative is a Nigeria-based Non-Governmental Organization working to connect under-served young Africans with digital opportunities, and ensures protection of their rights. They have offices in five other African countries – Zimbabwe, Zambia, Senegal, Kenya and Cameroon.
