WAICTANet Launches “Ghana Digital Policy Watch” to Engage Civil Society on over 13 New Digital Bills
The West Africa ICT Action Network (WAICTANet) has announced the launch of the Ghana Digital Policy Watch & Civil Society Consultation Platform to coordinate non-state input on more than 13 draft digital and technology-related bills currently being processed by Ghana’s Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations.
The platform will serve as a hub for analysis, stakeholder feedback, and regional best-practice sharing on key draft instruments including the Emerging Technologies Bill (2025), Data Harmonisation Bill (2025), Digital Economy & Innovation Development Fund Bill (2025), Cybersecurity (Amendment) Bill (2025), Data Protection Bill (2025), and the Misinformation, Disinformation & Hate Speech Bill (2025), among others.
“What Ghana is doing is not a minor regulatory update — it is a complete redesign of its digital governance architecture. Civil society, startups, media, and academia must not be spectators,” said Peterking Quaye, Regional Director, WAICTANet. “Our platform is to ensure that innovation, human rights, security, and regional interoperability are all reflected in the final laws.”
The Ghana Digital Policy Watch aims to create an inclusive, evidence-based platform that brings together civil society, the private sector, academia, and innovation hubs to shape the country’s ongoing digital law reforms. It will aggregate public and expert views on each of the 13 draft digital bills, ensuring that citizen voices and sector-specific insights are reflected in the final legislative outcomes. The platform will also map regional alignment with ECOWAS, the African Union, and Smart Africa frameworks, drawing lessons from the experiences of Nigeria and Kenya to promote coherence and best practice across West Africa.
Through a series of bill-by-bill online briefings, open calls for written submissions, and policy notes identifying risks, gaps, and regional comparisons, WAICTANet will coordinate structured engagement with Parliament, ministries, and regulators. This approach will ensure that government receives consolidated, data-driven recommendations that balance innovation, investment, and human-rights protection.
WAICTANet’s monitoring focus will include the independence of the new Data Protection Commission, the scope and safeguards of the Misinformation, Disinformation and Hate Speech Bill, the governance of the .gh domain and national digital infrastructure, and the incentives and protections for startups, tech hubs, and creative digital SMEs. The initiative will also critically examine cybersecurity powers to guarantee judicial oversight and safeguard digital freedoms. “Ghana can become the model for rights-respecting digital regulation in West Africa — but only if the process is inclusive,” said Peterking Quaye, Regional Director of WAICTANet. “We invite Ghanaian CSOs, tech communities, legal researchers, and innovation hubs to work with us in shaping a digital future that is both innovative and rights-centered.”
