West African Digital Economy Gets Boost As Pantami Seeks More Partnership

The Digital Economy sector of West Africa has been strengthened to achieve its stated objectives as the sub region streamlines its position to gain from the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) and grow its economy.

This was one of the takeaways from the two-day maiden edition of the West Africa’s Digital Economy Regional Conference that ended in Abuja on Wednesday with the theme: “Positioning West African Digital Economy for the Future”.

A communique issued at the end of the conference attended by the 15-member Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS) among other things outlined that the region must make the necessary investment in broadband penetration in the rural communities to boost penetration and ensure inclusivity in the sector.

The conference was organised by the National Identity Management Agency (NIMC) and other agencies under the Nigerian Ministry of communications and Digital Economy as part of the efforts to achieve the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (2020-2025) to build digital skill and literacy.

In his remarks, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, said the participation of the 15 -member countries of the ECOWAS with many ministers in attendance, has strengthened unity in the region which will spur the collaboration that is “key to the success of the digital economy particularly digital inclusion

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 “We have to partner and collaborate with others and allow knowledge transfer, technology transfer and come up with regulatory instruments that will cover the entire continent or sub region, ” the Minister said.

Pantami also expressed confidence that with the quality of the participants and the countries that attended, the implementation of the objectives will fast-track the “regional economic diversification agenda through the ICT.”

Also speaking to reporters during the conference, the Minister of Information and Communications of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Mohammed Rahman Swaray, said the conference presents multiple opportunities to network and to share insights and cross-fertilize ideas.

He added that the Abuja conference has an excess bag of experiences that can be utilized to pave the way for Sierra Leon’s digital economy.

“Our country has invested heavily on not only landing the fiber cable but also ensuring that we have taken fiber to 14 of the 16 districts of the country. The regional capital cities have all got metro rings with access points which is the last mile connectivity so that people can enjoy the digital,” he said.