Jun 2026· Discover Global Society· Vol 4· 1 citation· 46 references
TL;DR
The Somali case suggests that digital sovereignty in fragile states should be treated as an uneven governance capacity that can be strengthened incrementally rather than as an all-or-nothing condition of technological independence.
Abstract
Cloud computing now supports public administration, finance, health, communications, and platform-based services, but it also makes public control over data, jurisdiction, accountability, and critical digital infrastructure harder to exercise. These tensions are sharper in fragile and low-capacity settings where digital markets often expand faster than the institutions responsible for governing them. This article presents a qualitative single-case study of Somalia, supported by structured literature synthesis and document analysis, to examine how data sovereignty is shaped under conditions of infrastructural and institutional dependence. The analysis is anchored in governance-capacity theory under structural dependence: legal authority is treated as necessary but insufficient unless it is matched by institutional routines, infrastructure visibility, and leverage over systemically important private actors. Drawing mainly on peer-reviewed literature published between 2023 and March 2026, with older foundational works retained only where conceptually necessary, together with Somalia’s Data Protection Act of 2023 and related policy documents, the article argues that Somalia’s challenge is best understood as governance under structural dependence. Formal legal jurisdiction has begun to emerge, but available public evidence suggests that practical control remains constrained by thin regulatory capacity, externally mediated cloud and hosting arrangements, and the infrastructural power of telecom-fintech firms that already perform quasi-public functions. A credible policy pathway therefore requires sequenced hybrid governance: operationalizing the data protection regime, mapping critical cloud dependencies, using procurement and audit rights to improve visibility, imposing risk-based obligations on systemically important private actors, and coordinating regionally on cross-border data governance. More broadly, the Somali case suggests that digital sovereignty in fragile states should be treated as an uneven governance capacity that can be strengthened incrementally rather than as an all-or-nothing condition of technological independence.
This paper presents MDI’s Data Governance Transformation (DGT) project, an already-in-use data governance policy & infrastructure framework developed to support robust implementation of Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs), govern rapid AI development, and confront precedent shattering data use in the United States. As government agencies increasingly rely on complex and distributed data ecosystems, traditional data management approaches have proven insufficient to ensure data quality, accessibility, privacy, and interoperability. This framework establishes a cross-functional data governance structure that includes clearly defined roles, a RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) matrix, a standardized change control process, and an architecture rooted in medallion-style data layering. It also includes practical guidance on the following: conducting a data inventory, aligning with cloud and privacy requirements, and coordinating with contractors to ensure data portability and reproducibility. By embedding PETs and clear accountability mechanisms, this framework not only supports compliance with regulatory mandates but also enables data-driven decision-making and responsible use of AI. The framework serves as a replicable model for other government and non-government entities seeking to implement or refresh their data governance strategies to meet the demands of modern public service delivery.
J. Pasner· International Journal of Pop...· 0 citations
This paper critically examines the role of digital transformation in enhancing governance, efficiency, and transparency within Sri Lanka’s public sector. Despite significant investments in ICT infrastructure and the digitalization of services, public institutions remain fragmented, operating through isolated systems that hinder cross-agency collaboration and citizen-centred service delivery. Drawing on secondary data from global case studies, national policy frameworks, and international benchmarks, the study assesses the institutional, legislative, and technological challenges that impede horizontal digital integration. The analysis reveals that legacy systems, legal ambiguities, weak interoperability standards, and limitations in human capital continue to obstruct the advancement of coordinated digital governance. Institutional reluctance to share data, overlapping mandates, and inadequate enforcement mechanisms further exacerbate fragmentation. Drawing on international models such as Estonia’s X-Road and India’s Aadhaar infrastructure, the paper highlights the urgent need for a Digital Interoperability Act, the establishment of a central digital authority, and the adoption of unified API frameworks. The study concludes that effective digital transformation in Sri Lanka necessitates a multi-pronged approach encompassing legal reform, strategic investment in ICT capacity, strengthened institutional cooperation, and the ethical deployment of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. These reforms are essential to fulfil the current administration’s vision of a responsive, inclusive, and fully integrated digital public sector.
V. Papakaran· Sri Lanka Journal of Develop...· 0 citations
The pursuit of digital sovereignty is often presented as a way to reclaim control from powerful technology companies. This blog argues that, in India, this pursuit makes accountability more difficult. India's approach to digital sovereignty is not solely concerned with reasserting state authority over technology companies, but also with reconfiguring the relationship between the state and private actors. In this emerging model, the state plays an enabling role by providing funding, digital infrastructure, and access to scale, while indigenous private technology companies often retain significant operational autonomy and capture much of the resulting value. The blog explores this dynamic across two domains: the increasing reliance on voluntary, industry-led AI governance frameworks in place of binding regulation, and the expanding role of private actors in functions traditionally associated with the state through the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) model. It argues that these developments may blur lines of regulatory responsibility and diffuse accountability across public and private actors, raising questions about how digital sovereignty is being operationalised in practice.
In the contemporary global economy, data has emerged as the “new oil,” serving as the primary fuel for digital innovation, e-commerce, and social connectivity. Digital platforms ranging from social media giants and cloud service providers to local fintech startups rely on the seamless movement of information across national borders to function efficiently. This is well known as cross-border data transfer, which allows for decentralised storage, global service delivery, and advanced data analytics. However, the borderless nature of the digital world presents a notable challenge to national sovereignty and the fundamental right to privacy, as personal information often moves from jurisdictions with high levels of protection to those with weak or non-existent protections. In Tanzania, the digital landscape has expanded rapidly, necessitating a robust legal response to protect citizens from data misuse. Through doctrinal research design complimented by benchmarks (best practices) from Kenya and the European Union, the study revealed that, the legal frameworks on cross-border data transfers in Tanzania is progressive on paper, but incomplete in practice, there is also institutional capacity and enforcement gaps, furthermore, Meta does not list Tanzania as having a local data center or a designated representative under the Personal Data Protection Act. The experience from Kenya shows that the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner has moved faster in operationalising the Data Protection Act. Furthermore, experience from the European Union establishes a clear hierarchy for transfers. The study concludes that the legal and institutional frameworks governing cross-border data transfers in Tanzania are not yet effective in regulating digital platforms. Hence, the study recommends legislative and regulatory reforms, institutional strengthening, and policy and practice.
Josephina John· East African Journal of Law...· 0 citations
Smart governance represents a modern approach to public administration that uses digital technologies, data-driven decision-making, and citizen-centric service models to improve efficiency, transparency, and accountability. With the rapid growth of information and communication technologies (ICT), governments are shifting from traditional bureaucratic systems to digitally transformed governance models that emphasize interoperability, inclusiveness, and responsiveness. Technologies such as e-governance platforms, mobile government services, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cloud computing are reshaping the government–citizen relationship. This study proposes an integrated policy framework for smart governance to ensure secure, accessible, and sustainable digital public service delivery. Using a multidisciplinary and mixed-method approach, including policy analysis, global case studies, and quantitative performance evaluation, the research examines factors such as interoperability, citizen engagement, institutional capacity, and regulatory compliance. The findings indicate that governments with integrated policy and strong technological governance achieve higher efficiency and greater public trust. However, challenges such as cybersecurity risks, data privacy concerns, digital illiteracy, and organizational resistance remain significant barriers. The study recommends strategic policy interventions and collaborative governance models to support sustainable digital transformation in public administration.
Jose Fernandez, M. González· International Journal of Eme...· 0 citations
Sierra Leone has committed itself, in successive national development plans and in its National Digital Transformation Strategy, to governing on the basis of evidence rather than intuition. Yet the distance between that ambition and the daily reality of public administration remains wide. This article examines how digital analytics and data-driven decision-making shape governance quality, institutional effectiveness, accountability, transparency and public sector performance in Sierra Leone. The problem it addresses is twofold: the country has invested in an expanding set of digital systems, including the Integrated Financial Management Information System, the Integrated Tax Administration System, the District Health Information Software platform and a biometric civil register, while the analytical use of the data these systems generate remains thin, fragmented and weakly institutionalised. The study pursues four objectives: to map the digital governance landscape; to assess how far data currently informs decisions across the budget cycle, service delivery and oversight; to diagnose the institutional, technological, legal and political constraints on analytical government; and to derive transferable lessons from Estonia, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Rwanda, Kenya, China, Ghana, Botswana and the United Arab Emirates. Methodologically, the article rests on qualitative document analysis, comparative policy analysis and embedded case studies, drawing on government publications, international assessments and peer-reviewed scholarship from 2019 to 2026. The findings show that Sierra Leone’s difficulty is less a shortage of data than a shortage of the governance arrangements, skills and incentives needed to convert data into decisions. The article contributes an integrated conceptual framework linking analytics capability, data quality and institutional capacity to public sector performance, and a sequenced implementation roadmap suited to a low-income, aid-dependent state. Its policy implications extend to comparable Sub-Saharan African administrations.
J. Conteh, Musa Abdullah Kargbo, Dante Allie Bendu et al.· International journal of res...· 0 citations