Launch / Award Event #78 Digital Governance in Africa: Post-Summit of the Future

Summary

This discussion focused on Africa’s digital governance and ICT development in the context of global initiatives like the Global Digital Compact (GDC). Panelists highlighted the significant positive impact of ICT on economic development in Africa, with projections showing substantial growth in the digital economy. Key challenges addressed included the need for strategic investment in ICT infrastructure, energy availability, digital skills development, and bridging various digital divides, particularly the gender gap in technology access and use.

The importance of aligning continental frameworks like the African Union Digital Transformation Strategy with global initiatives was emphasized. Panelists stressed the need for costed implementation plans and innovative financing mechanisms to turn strategies into action. The private sector’s role in expanding connectivity was discussed, with calls for meaningful participation and supportive policies like universal service funds.

Addressing the widening gender digital divide was identified as crucial, with suggestions for targeted education programs and initiatives to increase women’s access to technology. The discussion underscored the multifaceted nature of digital development, touching on issues of data governance, artificial intelligence, and the need for harmonized institutional and legal systems.

Participants agreed on the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach, involving governments, private sector, civil society, and international organizations in implementing digital strategies. The discussion concluded with a call for collaborative efforts to secure funding and resources for implementing adopted frameworks, emphasizing the centrality of people and the planet in digital development efforts.

Keypoints

Major discussion points:

– The impact of ICT development on economic growth in Africa

– The importance of energy infrastructure for ICT development

– Strategies for implementing the Global Digital Compact in Africa

– Addressing the gender digital divide and increasing women’s access to technology

– The need for multi-stakeholder collaboration and financing to implement digital initiatives

Overall purpose:

The goal of this discussion was to examine Africa’s digital governance landscape following the adoption of the Global Digital Compact, and to explore strategies for implementing digital development initiatives on the continent.

Tone:

The tone was largely informative and collaborative, with panelists sharing research findings, policy perspectives, and recommendations. There was a sense of urgency around the need to take concrete actions to advance digital development in Africa, rather than just producing more strategies and frameworks. The tone became more solution-oriented towards the end, with a focus on practical steps like improving basic digital literacy.

Speakers

– Moderator: Dr. Mactar Seck – Chief of Technology and Innovation Section- UNECA

– Sorene Assefa, Cybersecurity & Digital governance Expert, UNECA

– Panelist 1: Researcher presenting a study on the ICT sector and economic growth in Africa

– Panelist 2: Honorable Minister of ICT in Namibia.

– Panelist 3: Jimson Olufuye, Chair of the Advisory Council of the Africa ICT Alliance, principal consultant at Contemporary Consulting

Revised Summary: Africa’s Digital Governance and ICT Development

Introduction:

This discussion explored Africa’s digital governance and ICT development, focusing on economic impacts, global initiatives, implementation challenges, and strategies for inclusive digital growth across the continent. The panel included experts from various sectors, providing diverse perspectives on these critical issues.

1. ICT Development and Economic Growth in Africa:

The discussion opened with a presentation of research findings demonstrating the significant positive impact of ICT on economic development in Africa:

– A study of 54 African countries from 2000 to 2018 showed a strong correlation between ICT development and economic growth.

– The ICT sector is rapidly expanding and contributing substantially to Africa’s economic development.

– Namibia’s ICT sector demonstrated particular resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, growing by 17% while other sectors declined.

– The private sector was identified as a key provider of solutions to increase connectivity across the continent.

2. Africa’s Participation in Global Digital Governance:

The discussion highlighted Africa’s involvement in shaping global digital governance:

– Africa’s active participation in the Global Digital Compact (GDC) process, which was adopted in September in New York.

– Namibia’s role as co-facilitator in the Summit of the Future.

– The importance of representing African interests in global forums to ensure equitable digital development.

– The need for African-led data governance and AI strategies.

3. UNECA’s Role in Facilitating Africa’s Global Participation:

Sorin Assefa from UNECA emphasized the organization’s role in:

– Coordinating Africa’s input into the Global Digital Compact.

– Supporting the implementation of the African Union Digital Transformation Strategy 2020-2030.

– Facilitating dialogue between African countries and global stakeholders on digital governance issues.

4. Implementation Challenges and Strategies:

The panel discussed various challenges and strategies for implementing digital initiatives:

– The need for costed implementation plans with dedicated funding from governments.

– The importance of involving all stakeholders, including the private sector, in policy development and implementation.

– Leveraging existing frameworks like the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) for implementing the Global Digital Compact.

– The critical importance of basic digital literacy and access.

– Gimson Olufuye emphasized the importance of meaningful participation and dialogue in implementing digital strategies.

5. Addressing the Gender Digital Divide:

The widening gender gap in digital access and literacy was identified as a crucial concern:

– Growing disparity between men and women in internet connectivity rates.

– The need for investment in tech education for girls to overcome barriers.

– Specific strategies mentioned by the Minister from Namibia included:

– Providing digital skills training programs targeted at women and girls.

– Creating mentorship programs to encourage women’s participation in STEM fields.

– Implementing policies to ensure equal access to digital resources in educational institutions.

6. Practical Implementation and Financing:

The discussion addressed practical considerations of implementation and financing:

– The need for concrete, costed plans rather than just high-level strategies.

– Proposals for public-private partnerships, including the use of Universal Service and Access Funds (USAF) to subsidize infrastructure development in underserved areas.

– The moderator highlighted the importance of optimizing taxation of the ICT sector to increase broadband access, job creation, and government revenue, suggesting a balanced approach that encourages sector growth while ensuring fair contribution to public funds.

Conclusion:

The panel concluded with a call for collaborative efforts to secure funding and resources for implementing adopted frameworks, emphasizing the centrality of people and the planet in digital development efforts. The upcoming WSIS+20 review in July 2025 was noted as an important milestone for assessing progress and refining strategies.

This discussion provided a comprehensive overview of the challenges and opportunities in Africa’s digital landscape, offering insights that could inform policy-making and implementation strategies across the continent. It underscored the need for inclusive, multi-stakeholder approaches to digital development, while highlighting the complex interplay between economic growth, infrastructure development, gender equality, and global governance in the African context.

Panelist 1: Similarly, the ICT sector in these economies are also growing very fast. And it has a significant role in driving Africa’s economy growth. For instance, by 2025, the African digital economy is projected to reach around $180 billion, which is 5.2% of the GDP. And by 2050, this economy is also projected to reach to $712 billion, US dollar, and contribute around 2.8% of African GDP. In terms of exports, it’s also growing very fast. From 2000 to 2022, the GDP share of exports from ICT increased by 6.44%, while the ICT service exports itself increased by 13.81%. And the share of ICT from the total service exports is also increased by 9.5%. So we can see the increasing trend since 2000. So the aim of this research is to see the relationship between the development in the ICT sector and the economy growth in Africa. And we estimate a model to assess the impact of ICT on economic development. To do this research, we use data for 15 African countries for over 23 years, which makes the total observation 1,150. And the source of data is World Bank’s World Development Indicators, African Development Bank Database, the United Nations Development Program, and also the UNCTAD database. The econometric technique we use is Fixed Effect Panel Regression Model. Our dependent variable is the Human Development Index, which is developed by UNDP, and it helps us to see the holistic nature of the development, like the health sector, the education and the living standard. And the main variable of interest here is ICT sector, which is measured by the ICT index developed by UNCTAD, and it estimates accessibility and integration of communication systems, and it also includes server security. And we use control variables like fixed capital formation to measure investment, the general government’s final consumption expenditure, and trade, to see the effect of trade and the population growth. Energy is also included. Energy measures the availability, sustainability and efficiency of power, and by institutions we measure the regulatory quality of government systems. So this is the result of our modelling and the regression analysis. So we see that the ICT sector has a significant and positive relationship on economic development in Africa, which shows that the higher the accessibility and integration of communication systems in the economy, the higher the development. We also see that the government expenditure has a significant but negative effect on economic development, which shows that the lack of finance and funding for crucial sectors and all the misallocation. of resources to economic activities that are not crucial for development. We also see that population growth has a significant and positive relationship with economic development, which shows that the potential of utilizing our human resource through developing digital skills. And energy and institutions are our new variables that we introduce in this modeling. And we can see that energy is significant for economic development, together with the ICT sector, as well as institutions. The quality of institutions, the higher the quality of institutions and the regulatory quality and the effectiveness of governments, the higher the economic development. So from these results, we can make some final remarks. The study shows that the ICT sector has a significant positive contribution, and to upgrade and accelerate these contributions, governments may consider the following policy options. The first one is a strategic investment in the ICT sector and its linkage to other crucial sectors, like implementing and investing technologies in agriculture and the manufacturing sector. The second one is mobilization of financial resources for the development of ICT through South-South and North-South cooperation. And the third one is promoting digital literacy and capacity building programs for digital skills to equip the growing population of Africa for existing and emerging technologies. And the fourth one… One is linking the energy sector, like the renewable energy, with the ICT sector to fully exploit the African potential in terms of its renewable energy. And finally, leveraging robust and harmonized the institutional and legal systems to accelerate the development of ICT sector, as well as its contribution to the development of African nations. Thank you very much for your attentions. And we will welcome comments. Thank you.

Moderator: Thank you, Mariama Witte. This study shows a correlation between ICT development and energy availability and efficiency in the continent. Several times, we forgot energy. Energy is very, very important for the development of ICT. And access of energy in Africa is very low. And why development of ICT will go together with energy development in the continent? And we have to take into consideration this. This study also, there is another study we developed to show when we optimize the big issue of Africa in the taxation of the ICT sector. We don’t have an adequate taxation system for the ICT service in several countries, almost all African countries. And because, generally, the Ministry of Finance need to get more money and focus on the taxation of the ICT company in most of African countries. We developed a study research in 52 African countries to show when we come up to optimize the taxation of the ICT sector, we can have a very interesting result. We get an increase of the broadband access in the country, also in the job creation, and we increase also the tax revenue of the government. Because we are going to create more job, more connectivity, and more economic activity for the government. We have the study we are going to launch during the AU ETHOF Summit on the optimization of taxation in the ICT sector. And I think it will be very interesting for the Ministry of ICT. But we recommend also to involve the Ministry of ICT in the definition on the taxation of the ICT sector. The Minister of ICT should work closely with the Minister of Finance to identify the taxation of the ICT sector. It’s very important for the economic growth for our continent. Now we show why ICT is very important in the continent. It is why also the participation of Africa to the global digital compact process was also an important step for the continent in order to all the parts of the continent will be to be taken into consideration in the global digital compact. We can’t say all have been captured. But the more important priority of Africa have been captured in the global digital compact adopted in September in New York. Now I’m going to give the floor to Sorin to go quickly on the process of the GDC before we are going now to our discussion.

Sorin Assefa: Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Sorin Assefa. I’m the cybersecurity and digital governance expert at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. I think to set the stage for today’s conversation, Africa’s digital governance post the summit of the future, I just want to set the context. We wouldn’t talk about GDPR. without going back and talking about WSIS. The international community convened in Tunisia back in 2005 for a world summit on information society, adopting a set of outcomes now underpin the national and global policies in information society and internet governance. Today we are talking about IGF because of WSIS. And this summit was an accumulation of the process initiated back in Geneva 2003, which also roots back to 1998 ITU’s council process. So for WSIS process, we did a review for WSIS plus 10 to make sure that the processes are still in line and Africa’s context and priorities are included, as you can see. And also recently we conducted WSIS plus 20 annual review in Tanzania Dar es Salaam, where 150 participants were included and 137 member states were part of the process. I think the majority of the stakeholders from the IGF community were present. And the outcome is to make sure that all the global processes ensure that African processes are incorporated. But I want to go back to GDC alone. So WSIS was there, IGF was there, now GDC came to picture to make sure that the governance gap that is existing has been breached. So the Global Digital Compact, ECA has been playing a pivotal role to make sure that Africa’s policies, priorities and context are on the agenda of the Global Digital Compact. So we have conducted a a few consultation process starting in Cape Town, where we had the Africa’s policy declaration and submitted for the TEC envoy consideration. Then back in 2024, April, beginning of the year, when the TEC envoy released the draft zero, when we started the consultation in the negotiation process with the African stakeholder. First, we started with the African regional consultation on draft zero to make sure that, as Macta said, the objective of GDC is in line with the continent requirement and the principle and the commitment in action. After that consultation, we also went ahead and we did deep dive specifically on data and data governance. It was holding a disavowal and the co-facilitator were in the African region. Later, we also conducted a deep dive with private sector. We felt like the African private sector are not involved in these multilateral process, which is supported by multi-stakeholder processes as well. And knowing very well, Africa is the youngest continent in the world where 60% of the population are youth. We felt like we needed to engage the youth. We also did some consultation, but this consultation, it wasn’t in isolation. It was in collaboration with different players or stakeholders and make sure that the outcomes are presented and disseminated to the community. So we conducted some briefing session in the African IGF 2023, 2024. And even today, that’s why we are presenting it. Even in Japan, we place some of the outcomes. And as Makta said, also the GDC outcome consultation. It was presented at the SDC on communication in the ICT at the African Union. We also hold the Summit of the Future side event to put in place some of the consultation outcome. And in collaboration, finally, in collaboration with the UNU University, IGAV, and UNDESA, we put in place a forum for the Southern and Eastern African countries back in October on the implementation of GDC, where 12 members from the East and Southern African region were presented to make sure that after the adoption, there will be a space for the implementation discussion or dialogue. And CSTD had also a session a few, I think on the October that we presented our outcome. Just, this is the final slide, out of the negotiation and consultation of different stakeholders, these were some of priority and concern for the communities, being that the stakeholder stress, the importance of multi-stakeholderism, and the issue of governance gap, meaning Africa doesn’t have enough resource to involve in so many multilateral and multi-stakeholder process. So, how do we make sure that the existing WSIS and IGAV can be used on the implementation of GDC, and also bridging the gap, the digital divide, the gender divide, the data divide, innovation divide, and the people’s center of vision of WSIS and ownership were highlighted, but the main challenges that have been arising is to make sure that infrastructure gap has been addressed, and that Africa has a call for innovative financial mechanism needs to be in place to make sure that GDC becomes a reality. So thank you so much.

Moderator: Thank you, Soren. Now we have set up the picture. We have the Global Digital Compact adopted, but we have to remind also the several framework at the continental level. Our key framework for the development of the digital technology in Africa is the African Union Digital Transformation Strategy 2020-2030 adopted by Member States. We have also as a framework, we have this Africa Data Governance Framework. We adopted also recently this AU AI Strategy Framework. We have also our Malabo Convention Framework. And we have also several other global framework for discussion, exchange ideas, like the Internet Governance Forum. We have also the WSIS Forum. Now the question is, I’m going to ask the question to the Honourable Minister, as policy maker, we have also this implementation of the Africa Free Trade Area, it is the basis now because we want to develop the economy in Africa through trade. We have also the Digital Trade Protocol, and we have several protocols, several frameworks to deal. For you, according to you, based on your experience, you have a lot of experience in the sector, what kind of strategy African countries should put in place? to implement the GDC objective in line with the Continental Regional Framework and also the Agenda SDG 2030 and the Agenda 26-3. Madam Minister.

Panelist 2: Thank you very much, Macta, and a very good afternoon to everybody. I’m very happy to be discussing this very important discussion, especially geared towards Africa’s digital governance, which I think all of us can attest to is still growing in our individual countries and still growing on the continent. But first, I think I should address the holistic picture. Namibia, as you know, was the co-facilitator of the Summit of the Future and played a pivotal role in coming to this global digital compact, together, of course, with the main document being the Pact of the Future. And as co-facilitator, it was Namibia’s responsibility to carry the interests of the global south and particularly the interests of the African continent. And that was very important to us to take charge of that at the United Nations, of course, led by our president, Dr. Nangola Mbumba. When it comes to your question, Macta, around the strategies that we can adopt as countries on the continent, I think I can throw it back to all of us as a continent. We have the African Union, and I remember we met last June as AUICT ministers to look at, one, issues around data governance and artificial intelligence, especially around the regulatory part. We do not need to be that continent that always needs to catch up. We are always catching up, there must always be something that we have not put in place, we are always catching up. And that’s why these discussions are starting now. We have all kinds of protocols. We have the Budapest protocol, the Malabo protocol, all kinds of protocols. We are now reviewing WSIS plus 20 in July next year. We have now this global digital compact, which is supposed to accelerate and to ensure that we reach the goals we need to reach by year 2030. I think the issue needs to come into taking the decision and the financing along with it. Everything looks good on paper, but if there’s no implementation plan that is costed, that each country will need to set aside $2 million in the first year, another $2 million in the second year to put the goals that we have set aside for ourselves to fruition, then it’s all talk. And I think that’s where the biggest challenge comes, because there is a will, perhaps there’s political will. Sometimes we cascade these goals and these objectives at country level. Sometimes we even cascade them to sector level, but we need to take care of the young people, we need to take care of the healthcare system and digitalise it, the education system and digitalise it, but it doesn’t come along with the dollars. So what’s the point of it all? So I think the issue is we need to cost our plans, our implementation plans. That’s strategy number one, but of course governments can’t do it alone. The world banks of this world need to come on board and they need to seriously invest in making sure these programmes are implemented. The UN as implementing agencies, whether it’s the UNDP, UNESCO, very strategic UN agencies need to come on board and help us as countries to do this. Because unfortunately, as we know, the ICT sector is now an umbrella sector. Almost every sector now depends on ICT to innovate, to grow, to be more efficient, to be more effective, to reach more people than it has ever before. Whether you’re talking about health, whether you’re talking about education, agriculture, energy, energy is a very big one. On Sunday I was in another discussion and it’s very clear that you can’t actually connect people whether it’s the middle mile or the last mile if they are in the dark. Network infrastructure will not function without energy. So it’s multifaceted and multidimensional, Makta. But if I can say here at the end to say that in Namibia we observed during the COVID-19 pandemic when we did our analysis in 2022, our economy indicated that the only sector that grew during the COVID-19 pandemic was the ICT sector. Every other sector went down, but in Namibia the ICT sector grew 17% in the midst of the pandemic because that’s when we all woke up and realized we can’t do anything without actually investing in ICT and digital infrastructure. And it was able to carry other sectors when they were unable, literally brought to their knees during the COVID-19 pandemic. So the issue around energy, to ensure we have data centers, we have data collection of the data sets that we have is an important discussion, but it has to require all of us coming on board and implementing this, all the strategies, all the conventions, you know, all this papers called to actions, all this digital compact documents need to be cascaded down to continental level, to country level with implementation plans that are costed and states putting money aside to ensure their full implementation. Thank you.

Moderator: Thank you so much, Honorable Minister. You are fully right. We needed to have this costing because we have a lot of… strategy, a lot of framework, and a lot of implementation plan at the continental level. Now, Gimson, you are from the private sector. One key issue in Africa, it is a meaningful connectivity. How a private sector can be involved, because we need private sector to be involved in the development of the infrastructure in Africa. How do you think, following the adoption discussion we had in NetBondyal, this GDC, IGF, WSIS, how we can involve the private sector, because we talk about this since 20 years, but we are still at 38% access and 23% in the rural area, how we can involve the private sector?

Panelist 3: Thank you very much, Bacta, the Honourable Minister, and distinguished delegates, good afternoon. Well, my name again is Gimson Olufuye, I happen to be the Chair of the Advisory Council of the Africa ICT Alliance, which is a private sector organisation of concerned ICT associations, companies and individual ICT professionals across Africa. In 2012, we started with six countries’ membership, and today we are in more than 40 countries, and Namibia is one of the members. And in my private life, that’s about advocacy. In my private life as a business person, an entrepreneur, I run an ICT firm, Contemporary Consulting, as the principal consultant, and we’re into digitalisation, we’re into data centres, we’re into cyber security. security, and so on, play well in the digital space. Makta, if you will permit me, let me first say this, that I commend the two presentations we got earlier. Very, very relevant. And reflecting on that, I want to really commend UNEKA, and you in particular, for the way you’ve championed UNEKA program and your team in the African region. As a matter of fact, the second presentation, by Sorin, was quite comprehensive. But I want to mention there is something there about the outcome of the WSIS 2005 meeting in Tunis. While one outcome talked about the IGF, which we are in right now, the second one talked about enhanced cooperation on public policy matters pertaining to the internet that will enable governments and the stakeholders on equal footing to relate, which is a good one. And that eventually is what has brought about the summit of the future, because the resolution was not complete in 2018. And so the Secretary-General called for a digital panel of Melinda Gates and Jack Ma, and submitted a report. And the Secretary-General graciously said, let us convene the summit. And it was a great outcome. And thanks to Makta for talking about it comprehensively. So we now have the fulfillment of the second part of the WSIS. Now, the UNECA has done a great job of WSIS annual follow-up in Africa. Excellent job. Now, in terms of of governance? Well, I don’t see anything wrong in running GDC to be something we look at in WSIS. We don’t need to set up another framework where we will be meeting again. But WSIS can also be an opportunity where we discuss, because since nobody that come back is from WSIS, so they should also still be in WSIS so that we can have all those strategies that have come out of WSIS discussed during. Now, we got to the private sector. We know private sector is very important. We implement. We provide solutions, affordable solutions, enabled by the government. And as such, we are always ready. But there is something is important, Macta. There has to be meaningful participation. We are seeing that with UNESCO’s work. In fact, I was wondering that perhaps UNECA is implementing net mundia principles and processes, because all the things are here that there should be meaningful participation, meaningful connectivity, and meaningful dialogue. Scoping of issues involve all stakeholders. Honorable Minister, you asked a question. Are we doing continuous catch-up? The solution is ensuring all stakeholders come together, leaving no one behind, so that we can scope the issues together. We can talk, bring everybody at the table, because you need their buy-in. So the private sector is engaging, because we have a stake in it. And you are right when you said, during the COVID, ICT contribution to GDP even rose to 70%. The same thing in Nigeria. So we need to sustain the momentum. How do we sustain the momentum? We need to bring all stakeholders together, let them have a buy-in. Not only the private sector, well, we’re always on the table. We are people. Let’s bring in all of us. And UNECA is doing a consistent work. society there and other stakeholders, those into gender, the business. So what I would say is that the private sector is always ready to provide solutions to enable increased connectivity. In fact, there are a lot of solutions that have been discussed here that were enabled connectivity at the local level, at the underserved level, a lot of solution, portable solution. And finally, the private sector needs support, support in terms of some form of subsidy, literally the USPF funding. The USPS funding can easily be provided to subsidize the provision of infrastructure in the underserved area. So if countries have not been collecting, we say USPF fund, they need to do that so that they can ensure that the, maybe like in Nigeria, it’s about 25% yet to be connected, they can be connected, and in other African countries, it’s even higher. So private sector, in conclusion, is always ready to support, especially that we’re seeing that internet connectivity leads to GDP growth, as the research pointed out, and as well as your report last year also pointed out. Thank you very much.

Moderator: Thank you. Thank you, Jameson, for this. You go through a lot of issues, very important. Now, let me come back to Honorable Minister. We have one big issue in the continent. We have several issues, but one biggest, it is now this gender digital gap. Last year, we have, in 2023, we have a difference of 10 points between men-connected and women-connected. This year, it will increase now. The difference is 13 points. between men. We have less women connected now to the men and this is decreased at the continental level. And there are several studies showing that if we leave out women and girls from the digital technology, developing countries can lose from $1 to $1.5 trillion on their GDP. How can Africans struggle? What kind of strategy do you put in your country to make sure more women and girls are connected in the network?

Panelist 2: Thank you for asking that question, Markta. We actually had an earlier panel with this discussion was had around the gender digital divide and what we can do, different actors to try we continue to close it because we anticipated getting bigger and wider if we do not intervene right now. And the first one we need to look at is ensuring that we have the necessary investment at local level and country level in education for tech for girls. And I know it seems like but no girl is necessarily cut out from pursuing a career in tech. But believe me you, there are many factors, cultural barriers, religious barriers, normative barriers that make it difficult for girls and young women to actually pursue careers in tech. Right now, 25% of the tech workforce is women, which means 75% is men. So if a woman gets into an environment like that, she would almost always be a minority. Only 11% of all executives in tech companies around the world are women, which means the rest are men. So it’s quite slow in the number of women getting into that, but that’s a bit high level. Let’s get back to the basics, the basics of basic digital literacy. How many girls and women have access to a smartphone? How many can navigate on the internet? How many can afford data? How many can afford a smartphone? So we see that the real inequalities in real life where a woman would not have the necessary money to even afford a smartphone already cuts her out in having access to internet or having access to digital skills, access to digital literacy, and that’s a problem. A problem because one, they are unable to harness the opportunities that might exist online, and that’s a problem in itself. Imagine a small-scale woman who runs a small business, because of the fear of going online, they’re unable to scale their business with more customers, with more markets, something their male counterparts would likely have. And you know, it might seem like it’s a small percentage that 70, I believe it’s 69% of men in the world compared to 63% use the internet, but that’s a difference of over 200 million women. So it’s in the numbers. So that’s 200 million women between men and women who are unable to leverage the opportunities their male counterparts are leveraging on the internet and online. So it has detrimental effects on our GDPs as countries. But it also puts us at a loss, and this is why in Namibia we have tried. We have girl coding camps, which are not very popular with everybody else, because they feel we are discriminating against the boy child. but it’s a catch-up mechanism for young girls to feel comfortable that coding can also be for girls. Video games can also be for girls because we are seeing that more and more these sectors are growing and women and girls are seen as an anomaly when they enter them. Secondly, we have now created a digital… …or a small organization or a small business and you want to impart digital literacy, the quality is still there. We know that the quality is standardized across the country and people don’t take chances. So these are small efforts. We also have what we call the ICT centers that we have across the country and we collaborate with our Ministry of Youth that has multi-purpose youth centers to try to equip them with one, even one laptop. And an ICT center goes a long way for that rural area to access internet, to access a laptop, to access a printer, to teach them how to switch on and switch off a computer, how to create an email, how to ensure you have a social media platform. There are so many high-level discussions, so many high-level things we can talk about, but it means nothing if the average person in our communities cannot confidently go online. It means absolutely nothing. So let us go back to basics. Let us empower our people in using the basic knowledge online. Then you will see the demand because it will be automatic. If somebody has no more fear of the internet, cannot fear going online, banking online, running a social media platform, media platform online. If everybody is on par with the basics, the demand will be automatic and governments and private sector will be forced to bring that service closer to the people because the demand will be overwhelming. Thank you.

Moderator: Thank you. Well noted, Honourable Minister. We are now almost at the end of one minute left. Just would like to thank you for your participation. And also thank all our panelists for key message and key insight and reflection we can go through this meeting and the key outcome of this session. And I would like to thank also Namibia for the work done as co-facilitator of the Summit of the Future. We were very proud of the work done by Namibia and also by the government of Namibia. And thank you once again and congratulations for the work done. As you are our co-chair, please close the meeting. Since you are giving me to chair, I am now giving the opportunity over. Say one thing before the Minister, because we are running out of time.

Panelist 3: Honourable Minister, smart regulation, you said it all, ground to the basis, smart regulation, bringing all stakeholders together will really help a lot. Thank you.

Panelist 2: Well, I just wanted to say thank you very much. Digital governance in the continent is an ongoing project. And now that we know that there is a demand for us to actually get our ducks in a row, the multi-stakeholder approach is the one to go. Civil society, governments, private sector, UN agencies, all of us need to find ways to collaborate, find the necessary financing to implement all these efforts and all these very important documents we have already adopted. The road map is clear. It’s just the vehicle that we need to use, the fuel that we need to put into the vehicle, and the people and the planet that we need to use as center principles as we move forward, especially towards WSIS plus 20 review in July 2025. Thank you.

Moderator: Thank you so much. We have to find a way to implement, to find the resources also, funding resources also and collaborate. Thank you very, very much and see you soon.

Agreement Points

ICT sector’s importance for economic growth in Africa

Panelist 1

Panelist 2

Jimson Olufuye

Dr. Mactar Seck

ICT sector is growing rapidly and contributing significantly to Africa’s economic growth

ICT sector grew 17% in Namibia during COVID-19 pandemic while other sectors declined

Private sector is ready to provide solutions to enable increased connectivity

All speakers emphasized the crucial role of the ICT sector in driving economic growth and development in Africa, highlighting its resilience during crises and potential for future expansion.

Need for multi-stakeholder approach in digital governance

Panelist 2

Jimson Olufuye

Need for costed implementation plans with dedicated funding from governments

Importance of involving all stakeholders, including private sector, in policy development

Both speakers stressed the importance of involving multiple stakeholders, including government, private sector, and civil society, in developing and implementing digital strategies and frameworks.

Addressing the gender digital divide

Panelist 2

Dr. Mactar Seck

Importance of basic digital literacy and access, especially for women and girls

Growing gap between men and women in internet connectivity

Economic impact of excluding women from digital technology

Both speakers highlighted the critical need to address the gender digital divide, emphasizing its economic implications and the importance of providing basic digital literacy and access to women and girls.

Similar Viewpoints

Both speakers emphasized the importance of practical implementation strategies for digital frameworks, suggesting the use of existing structures and dedicated funding to ensure effective execution.

Panelist 2

Jimson Olufuye

Need for costed implementation plans with dedicated funding from governments

Leveraging existing frameworks like WSIS for implementing Global Digital Compact

Unexpected Consensus

Importance of energy infrastructure for ICT development

Dr. Mactar Seck

Panelist 2

ICT development correlates with energy availability and efficiency

ICT sector grew 17% in Namibia during COVID-19 pandemic while other sectors declined

While not a primary focus of the discussion, both the Dr. Mactar Seck and Panelist 2 unexpectedly highlighted the critical role of energy infrastructure in supporting ICT development, suggesting a broader understanding of the interconnected nature of infrastructure development.

Overall Assessment

Summary

The speakers generally agreed on the importance of the ICT sector for Africa’s economic growth, the need for multi-stakeholder approaches in digital governance, and the urgency of addressing the gender digital divide. There was also consensus on the need for practical implementation strategies and recognition of the role of energy infrastructure in ICT development.

Consensus level

High level of consensus among speakers, particularly on the economic importance of ICT and the need for inclusive, multi-stakeholder approaches. This consensus suggests a shared vision for digital development in Africa, which could facilitate more coordinated and effective implementation of digital strategies across the continent.

Different Viewpoints

Implementation approach for digital strategies

Panelist 2

Jimson Olufuye

Need for costed implementation plans with dedicated funding from governments

Importance of involving all stakeholders, including private sector, in policy development

While Panelist 2 emphasizes government-led implementation with dedicated funding, Jimson Olufuye stresses the importance of multi-stakeholder involvement in policy development and implementation.

Unexpected Differences

Overall Assessment

summary

The main areas of disagreement revolve around the implementation approach for digital strategies and the role of different stakeholders in this process.

difference_level

The level of disagreement among the speakers is relatively low. The differences are more about emphasis and approach rather than fundamental disagreements on goals or principles. This suggests a general alignment on the importance of digital development in Africa, with variations in how to achieve it. These minor differences could potentially lead to productive discussions on creating comprehensive, multi-stakeholder approaches to digital governance and implementation in Africa.

Partial Agreements

Both speakers agree on the need for increased connectivity and implementation of digital strategies, but differ on the primary source of funding and implementation approach. Panelist 2 emphasizes government funding, while Jimson Olufuye suggests private sector solutions with government support through subsidies.

Panelist 2

Jimson Olufuye

Need for costed implementation plans with dedicated funding from governments

Private sector is ready to provide solutions to enable increased connectivity

Similar Viewpoints

Both speakers emphasized the importance of practical implementation strategies for digital frameworks, suggesting the use of existing structures and dedicated funding to ensure effective execution.

Panelist 2

Jimson Olufuye

Need for costed implementation plans with dedicated funding from governments

Leveraging existing frameworks like WSIS for implementing Global Digital Compact

Key Takeaways

ICT sector is growing rapidly and contributing significantly to Africa’s economic growth

There is a need for costed implementation plans with dedicated funding to realize digital strategies

Multi-stakeholder collaboration, including private sector involvement, is crucial for digital development in Africa

The gender digital divide is widening and needs to be addressed through targeted interventions

Basic digital literacy and access, especially for women and girls, is fundamental for leveraging digital opportunities

Africa needs to actively participate in global digital governance forums to represent its interests

Resolutions and Action Items

Develop costed implementation plans for digital strategies at country level

Increase investment in tech education for girls to overcome barriers

Leverage existing frameworks like WSIS for implementing the Global Digital Compact

Promote basic digital literacy programs, especially targeting women and rural areas

Involve private sector in providing connectivity solutions, potentially through subsidies

Unresolved Issues

How to secure adequate funding for implementing digital strategies across African countries

Specific mechanisms to increase women’s participation in the tech workforce beyond current low levels

How to harmonize various digital governance frameworks (continental, regional, global) effectively

Ways to address energy infrastructure gaps that hinder ICT development

Suggested Compromises

Utilize existing forums like WSIS to discuss Global Digital Compact implementation rather than creating new structures

Balance targeted programs for girls (e.g., coding camps) with inclusive digital literacy efforts

Collaborate across government ministries (e.g., ICT and Finance) on issues like ICT sector taxation

The study shows that the ICT sector has a significant positive contribution, and to upgrade and accelerate these contributions, governments may consider the following policy options: 1) Strategic investment in the ICT sector and its linkage to other crucial sectors, 2) Mobilization of financial resources through cooperation, 3) Promoting digital literacy and capacity building programs, 4) Linking the energy sector with ICT, 5) Leveraging robust institutional and legal systems.

speaker

Panelist 1

reason

This comment provides a comprehensive set of policy recommendations based on empirical research, offering concrete steps for leveraging ICT for development.

impact

It set the stage for the subsequent discussion by highlighting key areas of focus, particularly the link between ICT and other sectors like energy, which was picked up by other speakers.

We developed a study research in 52 African countries to show when we come up to optimize the taxation of the ICT sector, we can have a very interesting result. We get an increase of the broadband access in the country, also in the job creation, and we increase also the tax revenue of the government.

speaker

Dr. Mactar Seck

reason

This insight introduces a counterintuitive idea that optimizing (potentially reducing) taxation can lead to increased government revenue and broader economic benefits.

impact

It broadened the discussion beyond just ICT development to include policy considerations around taxation and government revenue, highlighting the complex interplay between different policy areas.

Everything looks good on paper, but if there’s no implementation plan that is costed, that each country will need to set aside $2 million in the first year, another $2 million in the second year to put the goals that we have set aside for ourselves to fruition, then it’s all talk.

speaker

Panelist 2 (Honorable Minister)

reason

This comment cuts to the heart of the implementation challenge, emphasizing the need for concrete, costed plans rather than just high-level strategies.

impact

It shifted the conversation from theoretical frameworks to practical considerations of implementation and financing, prompting discussion of how to move from strategy to action.

The private sector needs support, support in terms of some form of subsidy, literally the USPF funding. The USPS funding can easily be provided to subsidize the provision of infrastructure in the underserved area.

speaker

Jimson Olufuye

reason

This comment provides a specific mechanism for involving the private sector in addressing connectivity challenges, bridging the gap between public policy and private implementation.

impact

It introduced a concrete proposal for public-private partnership, shifting the discussion towards more specific policy tools and financing mechanisms.

Let us go back to basics. Let us empower our people in using the basic knowledge online. Then you will see the demand because it will be automatic. If somebody has no more fear of the internet, cannot fear going online, banking online, running a social media platform, media platform online. If everybody is on par with the basics, the demand will be automatic and governments and private sector will be forced to bring that service closer to the people because the demand will be overwhelming.

speaker

Panelist 2 (Honorable Minister)

reason

This comment reframes the digital divide issue from a supply-side problem to a demand-side opportunity, emphasizing the importance of digital literacy and confidence.

impact

It brought the discussion back to ground-level realities and individual experiences, highlighting the importance of basic digital skills in driving broader adoption and development.

Overall Assessment

These key comments shaped the discussion by moving it from high-level policy frameworks to practical implementation challenges, financing mechanisms, and ground-level realities. They highlighted the interconnected nature of ICT development with other sectors, policy areas, and individual capabilities. The discussion evolved from presenting research findings to exploring concrete policy tools, emphasizing the need for costed implementation plans, public-private partnerships, and a focus on basic digital literacy. This progression deepened the conversation, making it more nuanced and action-oriented.

How can the development of ICT go together with energy development in Africa?

speaker

Dr. Mactar Seck

explanation

Energy availability is crucial for ICT development, but access to energy in Africa is very low. This needs to be addressed for successful ICT implementation.

How can African countries optimize taxation of the ICT sector to increase broadband access, job creation, and tax revenue?

speaker

Dr. Mactar Seck

explanation

Current taxation systems for ICT services in many African countries are inadequate. Optimizing taxation could lead to economic growth and increased connectivity.

How can African countries implement the Global Digital Compact objectives in line with Continental Regional Frameworks and global agendas?

speaker

Dr. Mactar Seck

explanation

There are multiple frameworks and agendas at play, and a strategy is needed to align implementation efforts across these various initiatives.

How can implementation plans for digital strategies be properly costed and financed?

speaker

Panelist 2 (Honorable Minister)

explanation

Many strategies look good on paper but lack the necessary funding for implementation. Costed plans and innovative financing mechanisms are needed.

How can the private sector be more effectively involved in developing infrastructure and increasing connectivity in Africa?

speaker

Dr. Mactar Seck

explanation

Despite years of discussion, connectivity rates in Africa remain low. More effective private sector involvement could help address this issue.

What strategies can be implemented to close the growing gender digital gap in Africa?

speaker

Dr. Mactar Seck

explanation

The difference in connectivity rates between men and women is increasing, which could have significant economic impacts if not addressed.