Regulatory Overview of Data Protection in West African Anglophone Countries

In the 90’s, there were no data protection regulations in Africa; however, in 2010, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) adopted a regional Data Protection Regulation, which obligated its member states to establish national data protection laws. As a result, over 37 of 54 African states have enacted comprehensive data protection legislation, indicating an ongoing trend toward legislative convergence. Government agencies have also acknowledged the need to protect personal data in a rapidly digitalising world. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), renowned for its comprehensive approach to protecting personal data across the European Union (EU), has inspired similar frameworks in Africa. This study aims to analyse the effectiveness of these regulatory measures and their implications for technology-driven businesses and cross-border digitalservices in West Africa.