Mubarak Raji, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign
As Africa experiences a surge in digital advancement, with internet users projected to reach about 1.1 billion in 2029, it has also seen an increase in data protection laws (DPLs), with about 44 of 55 African Union countries have DPLs as of December 2025. Enforcement of these laws has also begun (e.g., Nigeria fined Meta USD220 million). However, African enforcement mechanisms are rarely considered by privacy engineers. In this presentation, I will share our study results from a thematic content analysis that examined the enforcement mechanisms of 20 African DPLs reveal unique enforcement patterns, such as extraterritorial reach, mandatory compliance audits, administrative and criminal sanctions, and financial and civil liabilities. Our findings are essential for all privacy professionals, particularly privacy engineers whose technical work operationalizes privacy, as they traverse the intricacies of compliance in Africa's evolving landscape. Understanding African enforcement approaches provides the PEPR audience with a vital perspective on global data protection efforts and strengthens their capability to address compliance challenges across diverse regulatory environments.
Mubarak is a Nigerian-licensed attorney and a PhD student at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign School of Information Sciences, specializing in data privacy, AI governance, and ethics in the Global Majority, with a focus on Africa's unique challenges and opportunities. His research also covers the governance of Agentic AI and AI agents, particularly as relates to privacy. Earlier in 2026, Mubarak received the Westin Scholar Award from the International Association of Privacy Professionals for excellence in privacy. He earned his Master of Laws from Illinois College of Law, a BL from Nigerian Law School, and a Bachelor of Laws from Bayero University. Before graduate studies, he was an associate at Paul Usoro & Co. in Lagos, advising on data protection issues and defending privacy lawsuits involving millions, as well as representing multinational companies like ExxonMobil and PZ Cussons in high-stakes commercial disputes.
author = {Mubarak Raji},
title = {Enforcement of Data Protection Laws in Africa: Implications for Privacy Engineers},
year = {2026},
address = {Santa Clara, CA},
publisher = {USENIX Association},
month = jun
}