Wafaa M Rashed/ga4gh.orgWafaa M Rashed: Understanding the Power Dynamics Shaping Africa’s Genomic FutureWafaa M Rashed, Chair and Founder of Pan-African PGS Education and Research Initiative, shared a post on LinkedIn:“New Blog Spotlight | Who Owns Africa’s Genome? Power, Politics and Data JusticeUnderstanding the Power Dynamics Shaping Africa’s Genomic FutureAt PAPERI, we continue to amplify African voices leading critical conversations in genomics policy. This new blog digs deep into one of the most urgent questions in the field today:Who truly controls Africa’s genomic data—and what would real African leadership look like? We are proud to feature an important contribution by Pharmacist Mohammad Usman,Head of Pharmaceutical Services, General Hospital Kagara, Niger State, NigeriaGraduate of PAPERI’s Policy Advocacy in Genetics and Genomics programIn this thought-provoking piece, Usman examines the political, ethical, and historical forces shaping genomic governance in Africa, including:Persistent power asymmetries between Global North institutions and African researchersThe evolving role of African governments, regulators, and consortia like H3AfricaIndigenous and community-driven claims to genomic sovereigntyUbuntu-informed frameworks redefining transparency, reciprocity, and shared authorityThe urgent need for African-led infrastructure, bioinformatics capacity, and benefit-sharing mechanismsThis blog reinforces a key message at the heart of PAPERI’s mission:Genomics policy is not only about data and technology—it is about power, justice, and who gets to shape Africa’s future. For Africa to move from participation to power, we must build systems that reflect African values, leadership, and sovereignty.”Read the spotlightMore posts featuring Wafaa M Rashed

Source: The North Africa Journal February 09, 2026 20:27 UTC