ICT ministers gather to drive digital transformation in Africa

African Ministers of ICT and Communication are set to gather in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 23rd November 2023 for the 5th Ordinary Session of the African Union Specialized Technical Committee on Communication and ICT (STC-CICT). This biennial ministerial meeting aims to drive Africa’s digital agenda forward by reviewing policies and strategies to accelerate the continent’s digital transformation in line with Agenda 2063.

The African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy is a roadmap for harnessing technology and innovation to meet Africa’s development goals. It envisions a human and community-centric approach to digital transformation, focusing on addressing regional challenges. The AU Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy affirmed the AU’s commitment to leading a human-centric digital transformation that involves investing in digital infrastructure, skills development, entrepreneurship, and research and development.

Why does it matter?

Although the potential benefits of digital transformation for Africa’s development are significant, limited resources, funding constraints, and coordination challenges present hurdles. The Ministers’ meeting is expected to endorse concrete recommendations and actions to fast-track implementation and overcome these challenges. Notable proposals include the Institutional Architecture and Implementation Framework for the Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa, a Continental Strategy for creating an enabling environment for a Digital Single Market, an AI Strategy Conceptual Framework, a Continental Child Online Safety and Empowerment Policy, the Malabo Review Report, and a study on digitalizing postal services.