Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Dapo Olorunyomi, on Monday, warned that Africa is drifting toward a dangerous new form of exploitation – data colonialism, unless governments, regional blocs, and civic institutions urgently rethink how democracy, development, and digital governance are pursued in the coming decade.
Speaking at the opening of the third edition of the Media Development Conference (MDC-03), Olorunyomi said the continent is at a “historic crossroads,” where its democratic fragility, economic vulnerabilities, and the rapid expansion of global tech power threaten to reshape its destiny if left unmanaged.
The event, held at the Abuja Continental Hotel, drew more than 300 delegates from across the ECOWAS sub-region, Central Africa, Namibia, and South Africa, making it one of the largest media-development gatherings on the continent.
Olorunyomi’s central warning reverberated through the hall: after the extraction of land, labour, and minerals, Africa now stands at risk of having its data – the behavioural and digital footprints of its citizens – exploited by foreign technology giants.
He described the trend as a “civilisational threat,” marked by intrusive surveillance systems, weak data protection laws, foreign-controlled platforms, and algorithms that discriminate against African users.
“A continent historically subjected to extraction cannot afford a new era in which its data becomes the next frontier of exploitation,” he cautioned.
The next decade, he argued, will determine whether Africa becomes an architect of its digital future, or remains “a passive recipient of other people’s technologies and decisions.”
The CJID boss painted a stark picture of a region facing rising civic anxiety, shrinking civic spaces, coups, constitutional manipulations, and plummeting trust in public institutions.
“Democratic reversals – once a matter of doubt – now demand new forms of regional response,” he said.
For him, democracy must be rebuilt on transparency, participation, civic empowerment, and institutions that “listen and learn.”
He stressed that elections alone do not constitute democracy, insisting that Africa must rebuild trust and strengthen regional bodies charged with protecting constitutional order.
Olorunyomi expressed grave concern over the state of independent media on the continent, saying it is “under unprecedented strain.”
With declining advertising revenue, diminishing donor support, and escalating censorship – both traditional and digital – he said that African journalism is struggling to survive even as the demand for trustworthy information grows.
“The media is not a luxury – it is the oxygen of democracy,” he said.
He listed urgent reforms, including sustainable business models, public-interest funding, AI-supported fact-checking, digital safety training, and civic literacy programmes.
“These are the issues this conference will interrogate in the next three days,” he added.
Olorunyomi pointed to countries such as India, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Brazil, and Chile, noting that they offer clear models for Africa on data governance, digital identity systems, online rights, and transparency reforms.
He urged African governments to invest in sovereign data infrastructures, ethically governed digital ecosystems, and regional regulatory frameworks that protect citizens without stifling innovation.
Reaffirming CJID’s focus on young people, he spotlighted the Campus Reporter programme, active in 34 Nigerian universities and set for expansion into 13 countries next year.
Africa’s youth, he said, are already shaping the continent’s future through fintech, agritech, health tech, and civic tech.
“But they need policy protection, regulatory clarity, and access to regional markets to scale their innovations,” he noted.
Olorunyomi ended on a hopeful but urgent note, saying the next decade presents Africa with a rare opportunity to define its place in the world – if leaders act with vision.
“We possess the knowledge, the talent, and the demographic strength,” he said.
“If we act with courage and govern with humility, Africa will not simply take part in shaping the next decade – it will help define it.”