Public Management (500)
Guinea is making strides in digitalizing its public administration, but there's still room for improvement. According to the United Nations, the country's digital governance score increased from 0.2955 in 2022 to 0.4006 in 2024. Despite this progress, Guinea remains behind and is working to accelerate its digital transformation.
The Guinean Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Small and Medium Enterprises recently announced the upcoming launch of an administrative document management platform (PLAGED) on November 13. This platform aims to simplify administrative procedures for citizens, marking a significant step toward digital governance in Guinea.
This initiative follows Guinean Prime Minister Bah Oury’s recent call for a concerted push to improve the country's digital administration, where progress has lagged. Oury attributes this delay to limited familiarity with the rapid evolution of digital technologies. According to the United Nations' report "E-Government Survey 2024: Accelerating Digital Transformation for Sustainable Development," Guinea scored 0.4006 out of 1 on the E-Government Development Index (EGDI), ranking 29th on the continent. This is an improvement from a score of 0.2955 in 2022, reflecting gradual progress in online government services.
The report also noted Guinea’s Online Service Index score of 0.4808, which assesses the technical features of national websites as well as policies and strategies for online service delivery across general and sectoral levels.
Earlier this year, in April, Guinean authorities launched “e-Learning” and “e-Consulting” initiatives to modernize administrative processes with innovative training and management tools. The introduction of PLAGED aligns with these efforts, supporting the government’s digital strategy to improve service delivery and accelerate the adoption of digital tools across public administration.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
The Ghanaian government is ramping up efforts to bridge the country’s digital skills gap. Officials recently announced plans to launch a $5 million fund aimed at fostering technological innovation.
Ursula Owusu-Ekuful (photo, left), Ghana’s Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, launched the “eSkills4Jobs” program last week. The initiative aims to equip over 5,000 young Ghanaians with essential digital skills, with a focus on supporting women from marginalized communities and people with disabilities.
The program is a partnership between the Ghanaian government, the World Bank, and the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT.
“The digital economy is here to stay, and we must ensure no one is left behind. eSkills4Jobs will focus on creating tailored training programs, mentorship opportunities, and access to resources to enable participants to build relevant skills,” Owusu-Ekuful said.
The initiative aligns with the Ghanaian government’s broader goal of training one million young people in digital skills to meet the demand for a skilled workforce in a rapidly digitalizing economy. According to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), 20% of Ghanaian companies currently rely on foreign recruitment for digital skills, primarily because they cannot find qualified local talent. The World Bank estimates that approximately 625 million Africans will require digital skills by 2030.
The Ghanaian government believes that the skills acquired through the eSkills4Jobs initiative will not only enhance individual employability but also contribute to the overall growth of Ghana’s economy. World Bank data from 2022 shows that 3.1% of Ghana’s active workforce is unemployed.
Isaac K. Kassouwi
Mali is undergoing a digital transformation, prioritizing the digitization of a strategic sector to simplify daily life for its citizens.
The Malian government has unveiled a National Strategic Digital Health Plan (PSNSN) for the period 2024-2028, according to local media reports. This initiative, backed by a projected budget of $35 million, aims to significantly improve access to quality specialized healthcare by 2028. Key components of the PSNSN include modernizing health infrastructure, implementing telemedicine solutions, and creating a national health database.
The initiative is supported by several key partners, including UNICEF, the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the World Health Organization (WHO). “This plan is an essential tool to modernize our healthcare system and meet the needs of the Malian people,” stated Assa Badiallo Touré, Minister of Health and Social Development.
Launched shortly after the government’s 2024-2028 roadmap, the PSNSN aligns with the broader goal of universal access to primary and specialized healthcare. It is a cornerstone of Mali’s digital transformation strategy, supported by the World Bank.
A major challenge for the project will be ensuring seamless interoperability between different health information systems. To address this, the plan prioritizes centralizing information to securely provide healthcare professionals with access to patient medical records.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
The Covid-19 crisis has highlighted the power of digital technology in education, in Africa as elsewhere. Since then, African governments have been launching initiatives to promote its development and improve access to quality education for all.
On Thursday, October 24, the Ivorian Minister of National Education and Literacy, Mariatou Koné (photo, center), officially presented and launched the National Digital Education Strategy of Côte d'Ivoire (SNDECI). This roadmap, based on recommendations from the National Education and Literacy General Assembly (EGENA), reflects the government’s commitment to elevating the Ivorian educational system to be among the world's best within the next five years.
“Digital education supports traditional teaching and will significantly enhance the quality of our education system without replacing in-person learning. By integrating modern technologies into our schools, we reduce geographical, social, and economic inequalities, allowing the education system to provide more interactive and engaging learning to every child, wherever they are,” stated Mariatou Koné.
The new strategy aligns with the 2021-2025 National Digital Development Strategy and the country’s national development plan, which aim to transform Côte d'Ivoire's economy through the integration of digital technologies across all sectors, including education. It is built on three pillars: infrastructure, organization, and training. The strategy, with an estimated budget of 220.7 billion CFA francs (about $364 million), will include training for teachers and administrative staff, the acquisition of digital equipment, and the installation of modern technological infrastructure in schools.
The implementation of this strategy is expected to bring multiple benefits, enhancing the accessibility and equity of the education system. It will bridge quality gaps between regions, particularly in rural areas, and provide students with the digital skills needed to thrive in a transforming economy.
According to United Nations projections, Africa’s population will reach 2.4 billion by 2050, with more than half under the age of 25. This youth demographic presents a significant opportunity for Africa, but it also underscores the urgency of developing modern, inclusive education systems capable of meeting the needs of a digital workforce and fostering sustainable economic growth on the continent.
Samira Njoya
Morocco is ramping up efforts to establish itself as a leading technology hub on the continent. Following the launch of several digital platforms, it is now assessing its progress in various sectors.
Morocco's Minister of Justice, Abdellatif Ouahbi (photo), told the House of Representatives, on Monday that since January 2024, 51,000 criminal record extracts have been issued online out of 60,613 requests. Additionally, 6,727 electronic applications for Moroccan nationality certificates have been submitted remotely.
These updates are part of the initial assessment following the launch of several digital platforms by the Ministry of Justice. During the session, Ouahbi also noted that the state collected 16 million dirhams (approximately $1.6 million) through the electronic payment service for fines issued by fixed radar cameras. The platform for tracking court cases and files recorded 23 million visitors in 2023 and 12 million between January and July 2024.
The digitization of Morocco's judicial sector is advancing under the "Digital Morocco 2030" plan, which aims to leverage digital technologies as a driver of social and economic development. The plan seeks to position Morocco as a leading African nation in the digitization of public services by 2030, with the goal of ranking among the world’s top 50 countries in this field.
According to the "E-Government Survey 2024: Accelerating Digital Transformation for Sustainable Development," Morocco ranks fourth on the continent in the online administration development index, scoring 0.6841 out of 1, ahead of Seychelles (0.6773) and just behind Tunisia (0.6935).
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Last July, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched a program aimed at training young people in digital skills. A few months after its launch, authorities are now assessing its progress.
Ethiopian authorities have trained 31,000 citizens in coding within three months, according to a recent statement by Belete Mola, Ethiopia’s Minister of Innovation and Technology. He made this announcement while reviewing the results of the past fiscal year.
Belete Mola stated, “Over 246,000 citizens have enrolled in the training, and 31,000 of them have been certified. The young people trained as coders and the tech startups with creative potential will receive special support.”
The "5 Million Ethiopian Coders" initiative, launched last July by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in partnership with the United Arab Emirates, is part of the "Digital Ethiopia 2025" plan. Its aim is to provide training in programming, Android app development, data science, and fundamental digital skills in artificial intelligence.
This initiative aligns with Ethiopia’s broader goal to establish itself as a major tech hub in East Africa. The World Bank estimates that nearly 230 million jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa will require digital skills by 2030. Through the "5 Million Ethiopian Coders" program, Ethiopian youth are being prepared to meet this demand.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
To achieve universal health coverage for its population, Ghanaian authorities are relying on various technological solutions. They have opted for a public-private partnership to reach their goal.
Ghanaian authorities are set to launch, today Octyober 16, the electronic health management system, known as E-Health, which will create digital patient records accessible across all hospitals in the country.
The implementation of this system is a public-private partnership between Ghana’s Ministry of Health and Lightwave e-Health Solutions, a U.S.-based company specializing in e-health.
“Going forward, medical records and the history of patients can be gathered under a single database, which can be accessed by any networked hospital when the patient visits. This digitization effort has increased efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity in service delivery in our health facilities,” stated Ghana’s Vice President, Mahamudu Bawumia (photo).
This launch comes just months after the introduction of drone delivery solutions for medical supplies and online medicine purchasing from pharmacies. It aligns with the 2023-2027 Digital Health Policy and Strategy document, which aims to provide all communities in Ghana with timely, quality, and comprehensive healthcare through the use of information and communication technologies.
According to the Ministry of Health, the new system is expected to generate annual savings of between €50,000 ($54,000) and €300,000. It should also improve patient wait times by 35% to 40% in health centers and district hospitals, while regional and university hospitals could see a more than 40% reduction in wait times.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Last March, the American company Pay Rem Group Africa announced several digital projects in Congo. It partnered with a key government ministry.
The Congolese government and Pay Rem Group Africa, a U.S. company specializing in modernizing financial services, signed, on October 11, a memorandum of understanding to support digital and technological projects in the country.
Jacqueline Lydia Mikolo, Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Handicrafts, announced the partnership, stating that Pay Rem Group Africa would provide training, design digital and technological solutions, and help secure funding for these initiatives.
This agreement follows similar partnerships with the Digital Economy Development Agency (ADEN) and the Congolese Postal and Savings Company (Sopeco) aimed at promoting digital inclusion and bridging the digital divide. It is part of the "Congo Digital 2025" strategy, which seeks to ensure equitable access to digital services for all citizens.
The partnership could enhance the integration of digital technologies into SMEs, modernize the Congolese economy, and create jobs in the tech sector. It may also provide entrepreneurs with better training opportunities and access to financing solutions to support digital projects.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Like most African countries, Ghana is following its digital transformation roadmap. Various projects are supporting the achievement of this goal.
Ghanaian authorities plan to launch a $5 million fund to support technological innovation in the country. This was announced by Finance Minister Mohammed Amin Adam on Tuesday, October 8, during a visit to the site hosting the digital center at the University of Ghana.
“We are also establishing a US$5million endowment fund to support the management of this hub. So, everything that’s required to make it a complete digital village in the provision of skills to the youth of Ghana will be done. […] We want to train a million youth in digital skills, and it is not a task that cannot be done,” he said.
This initiative comes as African countries increasingly require a skilled workforce to keep pace with the digital transformation that has been underway for several years. According to a study highlighted in the report "Digital Skills in Sub-Saharan Africa: Spotlight on Ghana," the International Finance Corporation estimates that around 20% of Ghanaian companies surveyed only recruit abroad for digital skills, mainly because they cannot find qualified local talent.
However, the same report estimates that $4 billion will be needed to train the local population in digital skills by 2030. In response, the government has set a goal to train 1 million young people in these skills. The construction of four digital centers is part of this effort. In addition to the University of Ghana, these centers will also be built at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, the University of Cape Coast (UCC), and the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
In the first half of 2024, Moroccan startups attracted $14 million in funding, according to Africa: The Big Deal. The government has also committed to supporting these startups through its national digital strategy.
Moroccan Digital Minister Ghita Mezzour (photo) recently announced a 240 million dirhams (approximately $24.5 million) investment to boost innovation and support local startups. Announced, on October 8th, at the opening of the 6th edition of the African Digital Summit, the investment aims to boost demand for innovative services.
“We have allocated a budget of 240 million dirhams to stimulate domestic demand for innovative services, prioritizing purchases from local startups and giving them access to outsourcing opportunities, so they can export their solutions beyond our borders,” Mezzour stated.
This initiative comes at a time when African startups are increasingly struggling to attract capital. It is part of the "Digital Morocco 2030" strategy, which aims to boost the local tech ecosystem. According to data from Partech Africa, Moroccan startups secured $33 million in 2021, $26 million in 2022, and $93 million in 2023.
State support is expected to strengthen the country’s tech entrepreneurial fabric, stimulate job creation, attract foreign investors, and further solidify Morocco’s position as a regional tech hub.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
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For several years, Kenya has been working to accelerate its economic development. The country has identified a few issues within its state apparatus that are slowing progress toward achieving this goal.
Margaret Ndung'u (photo, center), Kenya's Minister of Information, Communication, and Digital Economy, met last week with a United Nations delegation led by Stephen Jackson, the UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya. The discussions focused on the importance of partnering to leverage digital technology to track illicit financial flows and combat cybercrime.
According to the ministry, the UN also emphasized the need to develop the necessary infrastructure, train law enforcement to tackle cybercrime, create digital labor policies, and devise a strategy for digital job creation.
This initiative follows Kenya’s request for an International Monetary Fund (IMF) audit to assess the impact of corruption and mismanagement of state resources on public finances. In Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perception Index, Kenya ranks 126th out of 180 countries.
On the cybersecurity front, Kenya is a global leader, ranking in Tier 1 with a score of 98.59 out of 100, according to the International Telecommunication Union’s "Global Cybersecurity Index 2024" published in September. However, cybercrime losses in Kenya could reach $383 million, according to the "Reimagining the African Cybersecurity Landscape" report released in 2023 by Serianu, a Kenyan cybersecurity consultancy.
UN support could help effectively combat these challenges and position digital technology as a driver of social development, as outlined in Kenya's national strategy. This UN assistance hinges on conditions such as media freedom, the protection of information integrity, the regulation of digital platforms and combating misinformation.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
As part of its digital transformation ambitions, Ghana is ramping up initiatives to digitize services and make them more accessible to the public. In September, the country launched a digital platform specifically designed for rent control.
On Monday, October 7, Ghana’s Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia launched a new unified mobile digital services platform. Baptized CitizenApp, the application allows Ghanaian citizens to access various government services, report issues, and receive real-time updates on public matters.
“What Ghana has done many advanced countries have not yet done it. So we are moving in a direction that has major opportunities…Once the system comes in doing business in Ghana will be very easy and smooth, paying taxes will be very easy, getting your passport, will be very easy, registering a business is very easy,” Bawumia stated.
The initiative is part of the Ghanaian government's broader strategy to accelerate the digitization of public services and improve their accessibility. In September, a digital platform dedicated to rent control was introduced. In July, the Ministry of Roads and Highways launched a mobile app enabling citizens to report road issues, enhancing safety and infrastructure development. Earlier, in February, another app was launched to formalize and harmonize the informal transport sector. Additionally, the digitization of the national population census process is currently in preparation.
These efforts have positioned Ghana as a leader in e-government implementation. According to the “E-Government Survey 2024: Accelerating Digital Transformation for Sustainable Development,” published in September 2024 by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), Ghana ranks first in West Africa and seventh on the African continent.
However, the adoption of the new platform and the use of digital services will largely depend on Ghanaians' access to smartphones and the internet. While specific data for Ghana is not provided, the GSM Association (GSMA) reports that smartphone penetration in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is at 51%. In Ghana, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), 69.8% of the population owns a mobile phone, and 68.6% uses the internet.
Isaac K. Kassouwi
The digital transformation is progressing across the continent. Morocco is ramping up partnerships and investments in the digital sector, aiming to establish itself as a key player in the industry within Africa.
On Friday, October 4, in Rabat, Moroccan authorities launched a digital procedures and services platform. This project, developed in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, aims to streamline various administrative processes.
Younes Sekkouri, Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment, and Skills, highlighted that the objective is to digitize 55 administrative procedures and services. The platform will leverage data management and extraction technologies to optimize public policies, particularly in employment and skills development.
This initiative follows the launch of the "Digital Morocco 2030" strategy, which places e-government at its core. Morocco aims to become Africa’s leading digital hub by 2030. According to the "E-Government Survey 2024: Accelerating Digital Transformation for Sustainable Development," published in September, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) ranks Morocco 11th on the continent and 100th globally in the Online Service Index (OSI), with a score of 0.5618, above the African average of 0.3862.
The implementation of this platform is expected to improve interactions between the government and citizens, strengthen the relationship between businesses and employees by simplifying administrative procedures, reducing processing times, and enhancing productivity. It will also improve how businesses manage human resources and interact with public authorities.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
By adopting blockchain technology in May 2024 to modernize and optimize several of its state operations, Guinea-Bissau made a bold decision. This ambitious move aimed to enhance transparency, security, and efficiency in administrative and financial processes.
Guinea-Bissau is set to expand its blockchain-based salary management platform to cover all public sector employees. By November 2024, the solution could track the data of the country’s 26,600 civil servants and 8,100 retirees, according to Concha Verdugo Yepes, lead economist for Africa at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and head of the institution’s Blockchain Solution program. She shared this information in an interview published on Wednesday, October 2, by IMF Country Focus, the IMF's news platform.
“The platform offers a secure, transparent digital ledger for managing the public service’s wage bill data, enabling almost real-time monitoring of salary and pensions eligibility, budgeting, payment approvals, and salary and pensions disbursements. It significantly improves data integrity and supports the production of timely and accurate fiscal reports for use by policymakers and the public. It’s one of the first platforms in sub-Saharan Africa to use blockchain technology to improve government operations, particularly in managing salaries and pensions,” Verdugo Yepes explained.
When the project was first conceived in 2020, 84% of the state’s tax revenues were used to pay the salaries of Bissau-Guinean public servants—the highest ratio in the region, according to José Gijon, the IMF’s mission chief for Guinea-Bissau. He noted, “For every hundred dollars collected in taxes, eighty-four dollars were spent on salaries. This ratio has now declined to 50 percent—a huge improvement, but still high compared to the West Africa Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) regional fiscal convergence criteria of wages not exceeding 35 percent of tax revenues.”
The government of Guinea-Bissau adopted blockchain technology to combat various issues, including poor governance in state finances, embezzlement, and corruption. The system aims to eliminate ghost workers, payroll fraud, and other schemes that persisted due to poor traceability of public funds. The platform securely records, stores, and shares information in a way that prevents tampering. Every transaction is inviolable, and the system detects any discrepancies in salary data, flagging them for the relevant authorities.
For the IMF, the solution offers additional benefits by simplifying audit reporting and reconciliation processes. It also provides reliable, up-to-date, and high-quality data for artificial intelligence models.
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), governments must have credible public finance management frameworks to build trust with international donors and local and foreign investors. A crisis of confidence in government threatens the financial resources it needs for the country’s economic and social development.
Adoni Conrad Quenum