The World Bank has given the nod to a groundbreaking $266.5 million initiative, funded through IDA financing, designed to revolutionize internet access across The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, and Mauritania. The Digital Transformation for Africa/West Africa Regional Digital Integration Program (DTfA/WARDIP) aims not only to enhance connectivity but also to stimulate a unified digital market in West Africa. Collaborating with the African Union, Smart Africa, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the program seeks to bolster institutional capabilities for managing and fostering digital markets.
DTfA/WARDIP holds the promise of narrowing the digital divide, ensuring more affordable internet services, fostering healthy competition among providers, and upgrading infrastructure to unlock fresh employment opportunities. The program targets benefitting 1.3 million individuals, with a particular focus on inclusion—50% of whom are women—and addressing the needs of people with disabilities.
Despite strides in mobile broadband coverage, West Africa grapples with notable gaps in digital connectivity and usage, with mobile broadband adoption still below 40%. High retail prices act as a deterrent, and infrastructure deficits pose significant challenges to meeting the escalating demand for data and online services.
Boutheina Guermazi, World Bank Director for Regional Integration for Africa and the Middle East, emphasized the pivotal role of DTfA/WARDIP in shaping a connected, innovative, and inclusive future for West Africa. Beyond transforming the digital landscape, the initiative aspires to cultivate a vibrant digital ecosystem, tear down barriers, and empower local communities and businesses to flourish in the digital age.
DTfA/WARDIP extends support to Smart Africa in building capacities for African policymakers and decision-makers in digital transformation. By focusing on closing gender gaps in digital skills, entrepreneurship, and digital financial services, the program ensures that women have equal opportunities to reap the benefits of the digital economy. ICT service providers and businesses will receive support to foster a regional digital market for expansion, while public sector entities, universities, and regulatory bodies will undergo targeted interventions to enhance their contributions to digital development.
Aligned with Africa’s continental and regional initiatives, DTfA/WARDIP contributes to an inclusive future for Africa and aligns seamlessly with the African Union’s strategic vision for creating single digital markets by 2030. This entails the development of appropriate policies and regulations for coordinated digital transformation in Africa.
