The path to expertise is often winding, layered with both introspection and ambition. As I reflect on the first chapter of my professional life—a decade immersed in Africa’s dynamic innovation ecosystem—I am now stepping into a new season, one marked by intentional depth. I have joined the Centre for Business and Industry Transformation (CBIT) at Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University, to pursue a PhD focused on how personal data can drive business transformation. When most people think of a PhD, they often associate it with a purely academic career path—the route to becoming a professor. Naturally, the question arises: “Why do you need that degree?” (Especially because I already have two masters degrees, ontop of my undergraduate degree.) For me, the answer lies not in academia for its own sake, but in using rigorous research to unlock practical, transformative value. This pursuit is grounded in application rather than aspiration to a title.
This decision, while deeply personal, is also deeply strategic.
From Generalist to Specialist
Over the past ten years, I have worked extensively with startups, innovation hubs, digital skilling programmes, and research collaborations across the continent. These experiences have been invaluable. They shaped my perspective and equipped me with a wide-ranging view of how technology can catalyse change. But they also presented a pattern I could no longer ignore: despite our best efforts and well-intentioned programmes, we often found ourselves repeating the same models, expecting different outcomes.
This repetitive loop spurred a realisation—that I was becoming a tech generalist, crafting broad interventions without the benefit of deep, evidence-based insights. I needed new lenses through which to examine problems, a new toolkit to build more effective, more transformative programmes. This is a skill in itself—being able to harness data and research to generate impactful solutions—and like any other skill, it requires structured learning. To apply it repeatedly and consistently produce high-quality outcomes, one must undergo a disciplined and rigorous process of training, practice, and feedback. This reflection coincided with what I now call the closing of my “Decade’s Mission,” the first major chapter of my entrepreneurial journey.
The Catalyst: A Question of Time
The idea of pursuing a PhD had been with me for several years, simmering quietly beneath the surface. But the commitment it required—time, energy, and the humility to learn deeply in a specialised field—made it a daunting consideration. There is something particularly humbling about realising how little one knows after years of professional experience.
What finally tipped the scale was a meditation on time itself. I came to observe that while days can feel excruciatingly long, years pass in a blink. The longer I waited, the less likely I would ever take this step. It was, in essence, now or never. I chose now.
Why Personal Data?
Much of the global discourse on digital transformation is focused on outcomes: efficiency, innovation, disruption. But few pause to examine the core resource that enables these outcomes—personal data. Data is just one dimension of digital transformation. Other aspects—such as culture, leadership, technology infrastructure, and process reengineering—play equally crucial roles. However, I chose to focus on data because of its catalytic nature; it often acts as the trigger that necessitates broader transformation. When data starts revealing patterns and insights, it prompts questions, changes behaviour, and can ultimately reorient an organisation’s strategic direction. More importantly, when new legislation is enacted that requires firms to allocate budget towards the protection of personal data, it forces organisations to re-evaluate the value, relevance, and potential of that data. Questions begin to surface: Can this data help us generate revenue? Can it inform better decision-making? This critical reflection often serves as the entry point—perhaps even the nudge—that catalyses a broader digital transformation process. My research seeks to focus precisely on this: how personal data, often hidden in plain sight, can be harnessed to enable meaningful business transformation.
The choice to centre personal data in my research is not accidental. As generative AI reshapes the digital landscape, and as Africa emerges as the next frontier for technological innovation, the ability to access and utilise unique and often underutilised datasets will become a major lever of growth. I believe we are on the cusp of a new market: personal data economies, where value is created through responsible and strategic data use. This leapfrogging effect—so often seen in African tech adoption—could once again redefine the rules, and see the rise of novel and transformative, contextually specific business models and economies.
Ethical Groundings in a New Digital Era
However, with opportunity comes responsibility. The increased use of personal data, particularly in an environment powered by AI, brings with it serious ethical concerns. As more Africans come online, many for the first time, they enter a complex digital jungle where personal data can be both an asset and a vulnerability.
We have already seen how, through the use of GenAI, bad actors use fragments of personal data to pull off elaborate impersonation scams—phishing, social engineering, whaling, and more. AI has already demonstrated its power to exploit seemingly innocuous data fragments to deceive and manipulate. In this context, digital literacy becomes not just a technical skill but a civic imperative. I hope my research will contribute not only to policy and business innovation but also to the creation of frameworks that empower users to navigate this new terrain with confidence and agency.
The Discipline of Depth
Embarking on a PhD is, in many ways, a lesson in restraint. It demands that I resist the allure of “shiny new ideas” and stay grounded in the core questions that my research sets out to explore. This is perhaps the greatest challenge for someone wired for innovation and always scanning the horizon for the next breakthrough—and for someone who has spent the last 10 years supporting the birth of new ideas into innovative startups.
But in this discipline lies the reward. By going deep rather than wide, I am learning to build knowledge with precision. This shift in approach is already reshaping how I think, how I design, and how I evaluate the potential for impact.
The Cost of Commitment
Every major decision has its opportunity costs. In choosing this path, I have had to forgo some significant professional opportunities, particularly in Zimbabwe where the implementation of the Cyber Data Protection Act (CDPA) is opening new frontiers in data privacy and security. Even though it opened up new opportunities to contribute to regional policy development, it has been difficult to watch from afar, knowing that I could have played a more active role in shaping this nascent sector.
And yet, I am convinced that this temporary sacrifice will yield long-term dividends. By equipping myself with deeper insights and specialised knowledge, I aim to return to the table not just with experience, but with expertise that can shape national and regional policy, fuel innovation, and unlock the hidden value within African enterprises.
Towards a Purposeful Future
Ultimately, this PhD is not an academic exercise. It is a deliberate step in my ongoing journey to create meaningful, scalable change. I envision my research contributing to both scholarly discourse and tangible transformation on the ground. Whether through shaping policy, guiding industry, or educating future leaders, I want this work to matter. And yes, this is what every researcher aspires for at the start of the PhD, I am aware, so I am making it more than an aspiration and more of a concurrent effort—an intention woven into the fabric of my journey from day one. To ground this effort in the lived realities of firms grappling with these issues, I began by launching a couple of newsletters—one focused on data protection and privacy, and another exploring broader themes in digital transformation. In addition, I developed a ‘Data Protection as a Service’ offering, supporting firms as they navigate compliance and operational challenges. These initiatives are designed not only to disseminate insights but to ensure that my research remains tethered to the real-world complexities businesses face every day.
Success, for me, will not be defined solely by publications or academic accolades. It will be measured by whether this research can catalyse change—whether it can help businesses see data not just as an IT concern, but as a strategic asset; whether it can help policymakers craft forward-thinking, ethical frameworks; whether it can help individuals understand their rights and opportunities in a data-driven world.
A Note to the Reader
If you are reading this at a crossroads in your own journey, I hope you find encouragement in this reflection. Pursuing depth does not mean abandoning breadth; it means choosing, for a season, to anchor your energy in one place, to build something profound.
I share this chapter not as a declaration of arrival, but as an invitation to witness the next phase of my work. This PhD is not the endgame. It is a means to retool, to realign, and to reimagine what is possible.
Let us go deep.
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