TechForward Policy Fellowship: Dr. Folashade Soule unpacks Africa’s path to digital sovereignty

In a continent focused on digital growth and geopolitical change, Dr. Folashade Soule delivered the closing keynote for the Spring 2025 TechForward Policy Fellowship. She is a Senior Research Associate at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford.

Dr. Soule spoke to 20 policy fellows selected from over 1,000 applicants across Africa. These fellows included technocrats, digital rights advocates, and multilateral partners. Her webinar was titled “Rethinking Sovereignty: Africa’s Emerging Digital Futures.” It marked a significant conclusion to this fellowship program.

The fellowship was organized by the Africa Center for Digital Transformation (ACDT) in partnership with several organizations. These include the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Internet Society Ghana Chapter, and Innovation for Policy Foundation (i4Policy). The TechForward Policy Fellowship aims to develop new digital policy leaders in Africa.

In her address, Dr. Soule challenged traditional views on digital sovereignty. She urged African states to focus on human development and ethical innovation instead of just state control.

“Africa’s digital sovereignty must be about more than infrastructure or data localization,” she stated. “It must also ensure that African voices shape our digital ecosystems.”

Dr. Soule used case studies from Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and Rwanda to illustrate her points. She emphasized that digital sovereignty should be context-aware and citizen-driven.

She warned against simply copying foreign regulatory models. Instead, she advocated for hybrid approaches that combine local knowledge with global norms.

Her remarks came amid critical questions about data control in Africa. How should governments manage data generated within their borders? What role should regional bodies like the African Union play? How can innovation ecosystems remain competitive while respecting digital rights?

The 2025 cohort included fellows from ICT ministries, startups, academia, and civil society across 15 African countries. They engaged in lively discussions with Dr. Soule about issues like cross-border data flows and platform governance.

Her responses were candid: “There is no silver bullet. Sovereignty in the digital age is messy and political.”

The recent call for “pan-African digital constitutionalism” resonated with the program's goal of building informed policy leaders who understand Africa's digital landscape.

Ms. Evelyn Kwarteng from ACDT noted that Dr. Soule’s webinar provided both reality checks and inspiration. She emphasized that digital sovereignty is an ongoing process requiring collective effort.

As the Spring 2025 cohort graduates and prepares their capstone projects, Dr. Soule’s insights serve as motivation for them to take action. In today's world, Africa must not just consume technology but actively shape its future.

As Dr. Soule said, “Africa’s digital future is not waiting to be discovered; it is waiting to be designed.”