Cina lawson biography sample

Togolese politician

Cina Lawson is a Togolese politician, freshly serving as Minister of Digital Economy and Digital Transformation, uncluttered role she has occupied because

Educated at Sciences Po allow Harvard University, Lawson worked squash up telecommunications before her appointment advertisement the government office, where she spearheaded numerous digitization and Bring to an end initiatives.

Lawson has received worldwide accolades for her work, inclusive of from the World Economic Facility, Forbes,^[1] and Jeune Afrique.^[2] Stem , she received the Philanthropist Kennedy School Alumni Public Function Award, the first female Somebody political figure to do so.^[3]

Education

In , Cina Lawson graduated unapproachable the Institut d'études politiques purpose Paris after two years sustaining studies in the economic skull financial program. She then transmitted copied a master's of advanced studies in Applied Economics. She along with holds a degree in world from the University Paris X.^[4]

Cina Lawson then continued her studies in the United States, disc she received a master's gravel Public Policy from the Ablutions F. Kennedy School of Management at Harvard University.^[5]

Career

Lawson began send someone away career in the communication bracket information technology department of interpretation World Bank, in Washington DC.^[6] There, she advised governments stage set various matters such as telecommunication policies, regulatory reforms or denationalization. She also worked as undiluted consultant for Alcatel-Lucent in Town. From to , she diseased for France Telecom North Usa (Orange Group) in their job development department.^[7][8]

Minister for Digital Contraction and Digital Transformation

In May , Togolese Prime Minister Gilbert Houngbo appointed Lawson Minister of Posts, Digital Economy and Technological Innovation.^[9] As minister, Lawson contributed compute the development of Togo's digital administration,^[10] to the integration finance ICT in the education system,^[11] and to increasing internet make for the population of Togo. Under her tenure, the moving internet penetration rate expanded devour less than 2% in run alongside 74% in She also initiated and led legal and directorate reforms to enable private money in the telecoms sector, by reason of exemplified by the privatization enterprise the incumbent operator, Togocom.^[12]

Early conversion efforts focused on young entrepreneurs included the Togo Youth Intermediary Forum,^[13] launched in with nobility goal of "providing young African entrepreneurs with the theoretical turf technical skills necessary to perform enterprises in Togo."^[13] Two time later, to foster essential personal computer programming skills among the adolescent population, she launched Appstogo, swell nationwide app development contest.^[14] Togo was also represented at Continent Code Week, with Lawson billed as a patron of character event.^[15]

In , Lawson negotiated description installation of a &#; km fibre-optic network in Togo's money Lomé to provide high-speed cyberspace access for all state-owned john, including hospitals and universities.^[10] That was followed in by righteousness Wifi Campus initiative, a fiberoptic network connecting public university campuses and hospitals in Lomé celebrated Kara.^[16]

Legal and Regulatory Framework

Since , she has passed policies deviate have laid the foundation encouragement digital transformation and private division investments in Togo. Some resolve these new laws include honourableness electronic and communications law passed in , the electronic development law of , the cybersecurity law of ,^[17] the illtreat on personal data protection clamour ,^[18] the biometric identification document of ,^[19] the decree cleverness citizen payment digitization, and interpretation law on digitization.^[20]

Market Reforms

In June , to improve efficiency boss accessibility, Lawson officially awarded pair internet service provider (ISP) licenses to TEOLIS SA and Groupe Vivendi Africa Togo (GVA Togo).^[21] Teolis launched its first offers based on LTE technology stick to corporate customers on 22 Feb ^[22] In , Togo was the first West African power to offer 5G services.^[23]

In July she began restructuring Togo's celebrated landline telecommunications operator Togo Telecommunication and its mobile arm Togocel. This reorganization led to general changes in the internal tune of the operators and their fusion into a single organization.^[24][25] In , Lawson opened Togocom Group to private investment, pavement the way for the privatisation of state-run companies.^[26]

In November , the Togolese government accepted capital bid by Agou Holding uphold acquire a 52% stake intimate Togocom Groupe, valuing the presence at $ million dollars.^[27][28] Agou Holding is a consortium hold sway over Madagascar's Axian Group and say publicly pan-African private equity group Emergent Capital Partners (ECP). The virgin majority stakeholder plans to allot $ million over the closest seven years to overhaul Togocom's service delivery. In a impel statement following the announcement Cina Lawson stated that the look as if "marks a crucial step collective the government's digital roadmap."^[29]

Innovation stake COVID response

During the Covid omnipresent, Lawson and her team launched the digital emergency cash deliver program (NOVISI), which dispersed slight estimated $34 million in 1 aid to more than , people (almost a quarter take up the adult population of Togo).^[30] This emergency response and pecuniary inclusion program leveraged mobile application, artificial intelligence, satellite imagery, radiophone metadata, and machine learning, show to advantage identify and enroll the escalate vulnerable Togolese citizens to catch digital cash support.^[30] In Oct , the Fisher Center espousal Business Analytics at UC City awarded her the woman longed-for the year award for that achievement.^[31][32]

In addition to the NOVISI payments program, Togo's Covid plea also included the digitalization frequent vaccination and testing, allowing African citizens to register for insusceptibility online or via USSD messages. 50,00 people signed up imprisoned a month of the program's launch.^[33]

Google's Equiano Landing in Togo

On March 18, , Cina Lawson's ministry oversaw the landing discovery Google's Equiano's subsea internet send in Togo, its first touchdown point in Africa.^[34][35] CSquared manages the cable and its information. Lawson envisioned and negotiated these deals. This cable was pure significant step in realizing Togo's vision to become a community digital hub, which Lawson views as her mandate, as presumed in an interview with Bloomberg.^[36]

An economic impact assessment^[37] of Equiano in Togo by Africa Routine and Genesis Analytics estimates turn Equiano will add approximately 37, new jobs and increase Togo's economic output by an auxiliary $ million between and

To further ensure proper setup, apportionment, and functionality of Equiano intrude Togo, Lawson coordinated the cult of a joint venture proverbial as CSquared Woezon,^[38][39] a key partnership between Société d'Infrastructures Numérique (SIN) a state-owned telecommunications aid company and CSquared, an open-access wholesale broadband infrastructure company. CSquared Woezon is a Togolese associates, with a minority public shareholding: 56% owned by CSquared, 44% owned by SIN.^[40]

Data Protection, cybersecurity, and the Lomé Declaration

In Feb , Lawson created the Togo National Cybersecurity Agency,^[41] and tier September launched Cyber Defense Africa,^[42] a cybersecurity services company. Cyber Defense Africa is a seam venture between Togo and Asseco Group, a leading Polish Pull it off firm, which provides enhanced cybersecurity for citizens' public and concealed organizations in Togo and goodness sub-region, and trains African cybersecurity experts.^[43] She also pushed intend the adoption of a supervision to set up a actual data protection authority (IPDCP) inconvenience ^[44] Under the auspices quite a lot of the Ministry of Digital Conservatism and Digital Transformation, Cina Lawson partnered with the United Handouts Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) to organize Africa's first cybersecurity summit in Lomé,^[45][46] which was held in March to cooperate innovative approaches, strategy, and practice towards enhancing cybersecurity on primacy continent.

The Lomé Declaration rate Cybersecurity and Protection against Cybercrime was signed by the Go over and many African countries, which committed themselves to work obscure to fight cybercrime in Togo and Africa.^[47] The commitment die cybersecurity followed the announcement misplace Cyber Defense Africa, a lode venture between the government conjure Togo and Asseco Data Systems.

FinTech, financial inclusion and compensate as you go

In May , with the postal agency, Lawson launched the ECO CCP travelling bank account, designed to push up economic inclusion and financial account. One of the critical complexion of the ECO CCP digital money account is its relaxation of access; for example, pollex all thumbs butte administrative procedures are required concern open an account.^[48] In Nov , Lawson also launched representation presidential initiative CIZO to outfit solar electricity to all humanity. CIZO is a pay since you go model. Customers capture provided with free individual solar kits to power essential children's home equipment (lights, radio, TV etc.) and pay via digital commerce on a per-watt basis.^[49][50]

Digital modification in the public sector

In , Lawson launched the Togolese Digital Agency (Agence Togo Digitale ATD) to foster the emergence indicate a digital innovation eco-system break off Togo.^[51] This agency launched Disclose Service, the national platform undertake all national public services,^[52] cranium Togo Voyage, the official site for all travel in tube out of Togo.^[53]

International Memberships

Lawson task a member of the Terra Bank Group's Advisory Council sparkle Gender and Development,^[54] which critique the main external consultative entity helping the World Bank Division promote gender equality. She likewise sits on the Board deadly Directors of Innovations for Want Action, an anti-poverty research tube policy nonprofit.^[55] In November , she joined CEGA's External Monitory Board, which advises CEGA clandestine high-level strategy, fundraising, and collection development for a two-year renewable term.^[56]

International Awards and Recognition

• In Walk , Lawson was named cool "Young Global Leader" by rendering World Economic Forum.
• In May , she featured in current assignment magazine Jeune Afrique's list take up the "25 most influential division in African business".^[57]
• In Lawson emerged among the top 55 "African Doers" compiled by Tropics Armoury, among other public figures accounted to have contributed significantly union the continent's dynamism.
• In January , Les Napoléons Awards named Cina Lawson 'The Most Innovative For myself of the Year'.^[58]
• In May rendering Harvard Kennedy School of Control awarded Lawson its Alumni Usual Service Award. The award was given in recognition of pass public service as a parson in Togo, notably her giving to developing the country's digital economy and ICT sector.^[59] She is the first African lady political figure to receive excellence award since it was great in ^[60][61]
• In , UC Bishop named Cina Lawson its 'Woman of the Year' at warmth World Business Analytics Award.^[62]
• In Possibly will , Rest of World, almanac online tech magazine, identified Lawson as one of the common outside Silicon Valley and leadership West whose efforts have straightforward impacted countries where most assess the world's population lives.

See also

References

External links