The procurement marks a pivotal step in Kenya’s digital journey, translating policy commitments into tangible impact for rural communities. By extending broadband to schools, health centres, and government offices, the project also advances the country’s National Digital Masterplan.
The Government of Kenya, through the Information and Communications Technology Authority (ICTA), has invited bids for the provision of broadband internet under the Kenya Digital Economy Acceleration Project (KDEAP). The bids are to be submitted on or before 1st October 2025 at 10:00 AM EAT.
The initiative will deliver broadband capacity to selected schools, health centres, and administrative offices in underserved areas, helping to close Kenya’s digital divide and strengthen public service delivery.
According to ICTA, the agreement will prioritize rural communities, where limited connectivity has long hindered access to education, healthcare, and digital services. By connecting government institutions in these regions, the project is expected to enhance e-learning platforms, support digital health services, improve agricultural extension programmes, and boost citizen access to essential e-government services.
Launched in 2023 with a US$390 million facility from the World Bank, KDEAP is the backbone of Kenya’s digital transformation agenda. Implemented by the ICT Authority under the Ministry of Information, Communications, and Digital Economy, the five-year programme aims to expand high-speed internet access to schools, hospitals, government offices, and marketplaces, while digitizing public services and enhancing citizens’ digital skills.
Structured in two phases (2023–2028 and 2026–2030), KDEAP focuses on three pillars: expanding broadband infrastructure to rural and underserved areas, modernizing government platforms for faster and more secure service delivery, and scaling up digital skills for youth, women, and persons with disabilities. It also aims to mobilize private sector investment in broadband expansion, aligning with Kenya’s National Digital Masterplan, which envisions 100,000 km of fiber coverage and 80% of public services digitized by 2030.
The procurement process will adhere to international competitive bidding rules, guided by World Bank standards, to ensure transparency, efficiency, and a timely rollout to rural areas.
If successful, the rural broadband rollout will help position Kenya as a regional digital leader, while ensuring that no community is left behind in the shift to a knowledge-based economy.
Hikmatu Bilali
A trained occupational therapist, Meg Faure has built a career that combines clinical practice with entrepreneurship. Her initiatives sit at the intersection of child health and digital solutions for parents.
A South African entrepreneur and occupational therapist, Meg Faure has built a career at the intersection of child health and digital solutions for parents. With more than two decades of experience in the field, she is the director of Parent Sense, an application she launched to guide parents through the first months of a child’s life.
Created in 2020, Parent Sense is based on clinical data and research. The app provides individualized tracking for several aspects of a baby’s development, including sleep, feeding, motor skills, and cognitive abilities. Its recommendations are adapted to each child’s evolution with flexible routines that account for a family’s pace. The app also includes interactive tools to monitor key health parameters, aiming to give parents concrete guidance to organize daily life and reduce the uncertainties of early parenthood.
Parent Sense is the latest in a series of ventures for Faure. She is also the director of Play Sense, which she founded in 2016 to develop play-based educational programs for children ages two to five. Before that, she created Baby Sense in 2004, a company specializing in products and services for new parents that she led until 2014.
Faure graduated from the University of Cape Town in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in occupational therapy. Her professional career began in 1994, working as an occupational therapist at both Blythedale Children’s Hospital and Kerry L. Wallace, a medical practice in South Africa.
Melchior Koba
While millions of Africans have embraced mobile money for savings, its adoption for credit remains modest. This is primarily due to the persistence of informal lending practices, even as new innovations begin to emerge.
Mobile money has become a transformative force for financial inclusion in Africa, yet its full potential remains untapped. While the service has excelled at providing a platform for savings, it has made little headway in providing widespread access to credit. The Global Findex Database 2025, published by the World Bank, shows the share of African adults with a mobile money account soared from 27% to 40% in just three years, reaching the highest rate globally. The report found that 23% of African adults saved using their mobile accounts in 2024, nearly double the rate of 13% in 2021.
The report also shows that 35% of African adults overall reported saving digitally or through traditional institutions. In countries with large mobile money economies like Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, and Uganda, more than 50% of adults use mobile money for savings, signaling a massive adoption of the service.
Mobile money is more accessible than traditional banking networks, making it easier to save small amounts and providing flexible deposits and withdrawals through local agents. This has led to more inclusive adoption, especially in rural and informal settings.
Savings Succeed, Credit Stalls
Despite the success of savings, access to credit through mobile money remains very limited. In 2024, only 7% of African adults borrowed through their mobile accounts, a figure that has remained stable since 2021. By contrast, nearly 59% of adults across the continent used some form of credit, though primarily through informal means like family or savings clubs.
In major mobile money markets like Kenya, Ghana, and Uganda, 22% to 32% of adults have borrowed through a mobile operator. However, these loans are typically small, short-term, and often carry high interest rates, which limits their overall economic impact.
Several factors explain this disconnect. According to the World Bank, regulatory authorities remain cautious, fearing over-indebtedness or fraud. The organization also points to business models that favor less-risky deposits and payments over credit.
The report also reveals that customers themselves are hesitant to borrow through platforms not well known for lending due to distrust, limited financial literacy, or overly strict eligibility simulators.
Innovations and Lingering Limits
While some specialized fintech and mobile platforms are gradually expanding their offerings through alternative credit scoring and nano-loans for micro-entrepreneurs, a mass-market for inclusive digital credit has yet to emerge. The report notes that countries with close cooperation among mobile operators, banks, and regulators, such as Kenya, are making progress, but elsewhere, advancement is slow.
The challenge now is to pair access to digital savings with policies for financial literacy, consumer protection, and regulatory innovation. The goal is to advance credit access without making already vulnerable populations more fragile.
For the World Bank, mobile money's full potential in Africa will only be unlocked when it contributes as much to productive investment as it does to savings security. This requires building customer trust and analytical skills regarding digital credit offers, improving interoperability between services and institutions, and adapting credit to local economic realities while minimizing associated risks.
Melchior Koba
His career, which has unfolded between Cameroon and France, seamlessly blends computer science with immersive technologies. He now develops projects that connect training, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Cameroonian entrepreneur and developer Charles Bihina specializes in virtual and augmented reality. In 2022, he founded DiVRsitee, a company dedicated to designing educational games that raise awareness about different forms of discrimination.
DiVRsitee creates immersive experiences to address issues like gender discrimination, migration, harassment, and violence. The games place participants in the roles of vulnerable people who are often stigmatized, serving as a pedagogical tool and a vehicle for empathy. The company offers its solutions to businesses, associations, local governments, and institutions that want to organize immersive training and awareness workshops.
Bihina's work also extends to teaching and freelance development. He teaches programming and virtual reality on the Udemy platform and works as a trainer in VR, AR, the metaverse, and artificial intelligence at École Hexagone in France. He also operates as a freelance developer in extended reality (XR) on the Malt platform.
His academic journey began at the African Institute of Computer Science, where he earned a bachelor's degree in software engineering in 2012. He later received a master's in computer engineering from the Protestant University of Central Africa before continuing his education in France. In 2017, he obtained a master's degree in virtual engineering and innovation from Arts et Métiers ParisTech.
Bihina’s career started in 2011 as an IT specialist at Eneo Cameroon, the public electricity distributor. He then worked for the telecom operator Camtel and a dental practice before becoming the IT manager at Les Coccinelles international school in 2015. In 2019, he moved to France to work for EDF as a 3D graphic designer and VR application developer. From 2023 to 2024, he was a metaverse and artificial intelligence trainer at the French computer engineering school EPSI.
Melchior Koba
• Guinea launches platform for public access to draft constitution
• Citizens can ask legal experts questions via the site
• Platform supports local languages to boost participation rates
In a push to engage citizens ahead of a constitutional referendum scheduled for September 21, Guinea has launched a new digital platform, "maconstitution.info". The online tool gives the public easy access to the full draft of the new constitution, allowing them to understand its key issues and submit questions directly to legal experts. This initiative is a key part of the country's strategy to broaden citizen participation despite limited internet penetration in many rural areas.
The project, a joint effort by the Government's Secretariat General, the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Digital Economy, and the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation, is part of a broader digital inclusion strategy.
"We are crossing a threshold: marrying technology with democratic values to give every Guinean clear and direct access to the draft of the new constitution. This platform stems from our commitment to comply with Article 18 of Law L/012 of April 25, 2025. It provides everyone with a simple and transparent tool," said Tamba Benoît Kamano, Minister Secretary General of the Government.
The platform offers full access to the constitutional draft and an interactive space for users to ask questions. These questions are handled by legal experts from the Secretariat General, with a commitment to respond within 48 hours.
To ensure the widest possible participation, the platform's content is available in several national languages, which helps reach citizens who do not speak French and reduces linguistic barriers to accessing information. If successful, this approach could become a model for other public consultation processes in Guinea or inspire similar initiatives in the sub-region.
According to DataReportal, Guinea had about 3.96 million internet users at the beginning of 2025, a penetration rate of 26.5%. While this figure is growing, it highlights the challenges of equitable digital access, particularly in rural areas. It is in this context that "maconstitution.info" stands as an innovation aimed at broadening citizen participation, despite current infrastructure and connectivity limitations.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Partnering with the ILO brings international expertise and credibility to Rwanda’s digital skills drive. It ensures that Rwanda’s training aligns with global labor standards while opening doors to wider support and partnerships.
On August 19, the Ministry of ICT and Innovation (MINICT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Labour Organization (ILO) to strengthen collaboration on digital skilling and SME digitization through the One Million Rwandan Coders (1MRC) initiative.
“At the heart of this partnership is a shared goal: empowering more women and girls to take up space in Rwanda’s growing ICT sector,” the ministry said, reaffirming MINICT’s mission to leverage ICT for inclusive social development, accessible education, and accelerated job creation.
The agreement, signed by Permanent Secretary Yves Iradukunda and ILO representatives, aims to expand opportunities in Rwanda’s rapidly growing ICT sector. At the core of the partnership is a commitment to equip more Rwandans—especially young women and individuals with disabilities—with the digital skills necessary to thrive in today’s economy, while supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in adopting technology.
Launched as part of Rwanda’s broader digital transformation agenda, the 1MRC programme aims to equip Rwandans with digital skills, create jobs, and build a strong pipeline of local digital talent to drive the country’s knowledge-based economy. By integrating ILO’s expertise, the initiative will further enhance training quality, with a focus on preparing women and girls to participate meaningfully in the digital economy.
Although Rwanda’s ICT sector is growing rapidly, its impact on employment is still limited. According to Rwanda’s ICT Skills Snapshot 2022, ICT workers accounted for only 0.2–0.5% of total employment between 2018 and 2022, underscoring the need for stronger investment in digital skills and workforce development. The partnership between Rwanda and the ILO through the 1 Million Rwandan Coders initiative is therefore crucial—not only to bridge the gender gap in technology but also to expand the sector’s contribution to jobs, inclusivity, and national growth.
This latest MoU builds on an ongoing collaboration between Rwanda and the ILO focused on youth employment and digital skills development. In April 2024, the ILO launched the Boosting Decent Jobs and Enhancing Skills for Youth in Rwanda’s Digital Economy project, backed by the Government of Luxembourg, with a €4 million budget running through 2028. The initiative targets youth across Kigali and secondary cities, emphasizing digital skills, entrepreneurship, and pathways to decent work within the digital economy
The initiative builds on Rwanda’s digital transformation agenda, which seeks to position the country as a regional technology hub while ensuring no one is left behind in the digital economy.
Hikmatu Bilali
The serial entrepreneur has founded several companies in Kenya, spanning digital services, cosmetic distribution, and skincare technology.
Kenyan entrepreneur Maxine Kinyua is the founder and CEO of Tui Beauty, an AI-powered skincare technology platform specializing in skin analysis.
Founded in 2024, Tui Beauty aims to provide each user with a precise virtual skin diagnosis and personalized product and routine recommendations tailored to diverse African skin needs and types. The technology, accessible via smartphone, is based on an automated visual analysis.
After the AI performs a visual skin assessment, Tui Beauty suggests customized solutions to improve skin health and guides the user in purchasing authentic and reliable products. The service also integrates an e-commerce experience, allowing customers to easily order recommended products and receive information on their optimal use.
In addition to Tui Beauty, Kinyua is a strategic advisor at TreatMePal, a platform for beauty and wellness service companies. Before launching Tui Beauty, she founded Raize Digital Ke in 2016, a company focused on providing digital support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In 2017, she founded EmkayStore Cosmetics, dedicated to distributing beauty products.
Kinyua holds a bachelor's degree in public relations, advertising, and applied communication from Maasai Mara University in Kenya, which she earned in 2019. She also holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of East London in the United Kingdom.
Melchior Koba
• EXIM approves $47M for Côte d’Ivoire digitization project
• U.S. firms, including AWS and Cisco, to implement system
• Project counters China, supports 100 U.S. jobs via CTEP
The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) board of directors approved on Friday a $47 million financing package for the digitization of Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The project will be implemented by the Washington-based Cybastion Institute of Technology in partnership with technology giants such as Cisco, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Motorola Solutions, and Microsoft.
"Supporting the digitization of Côte d'Ivoire’s Ministry of Finance reinforces EXIM’s commitment to countering the rise of People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s influence. By approving today’s transaction, we are supporting around 100 jobs and countering the PRC by fortifying and securing our supply chains," said James Cruse, EXIM's acting chairman.
The initiative is part of the China and Transformational Exports Program (CTEP), a program launched by EXIM to support strategic U.S. technology exports, particularly in the face of Chinese competition. For Ivory Coast, this project supports its ambition to digitally modernize its administration.
The project, which is about to begin, aims to modernize the ministry's information systems, strengthen cybersecurity, integrate cloud solutions, and improve administrative efficiency. The goal is to enhance the transparency and responsiveness of public services, streamline procedures for businesses, and increase the country's attractiveness to investors. It also represents a significant step toward establishing a more competitive industrial and commercial environment that is better aligned with international standards.
Samira Njoya
Nigeria’s selection as the first beneficiary reflects its potential as a digital trade hub and its readiness to harness the power of women entrepreneurs in shaping the future of its economy.
Nigeria has become the first pilot country for the World Trade Organisation’s $50 million Women Exporters in Digital Economy (WEIDE) Fund, an initiative to help women entrepreneurs tap into the global digital marketplace. Rolled out on Thursday, August 14, in Abuja, the program aims to dismantle long-standing barriers that have held back women-led businesses from limited access to finance to weak digital infrastructure.
At the launch, Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, hailed the initiative as a landmark step toward inclusive global trade, allowing Nigerian women entrepreneurs to scale their innovations and compete beyond national borders.
For WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, "The goal of the fund is to give women the tools, the knowledge, the networks, and the resources they need to access global value chains, so their businesses are not just surviving, but thriving, on the world stage."
Launched in February 2024, the WEIDE Fund is backed by the FIFA World Cup 2022 Legacy Fund, along with the Governments of Bahrain and the UAE. It represents a rare blend of international finance and trade policy dedicated specifically to women. The initiative is designed to empower women entrepreneurs by helping them expand their businesses through digitalization and international trade, targeting women-led MSMEs that are either already exporting, ready to begin exporting, or have strong export potential.
Under the first phase, 146 Nigerian women entrepreneurs will benefit. Sixteen “booster track” participants will receive $30,000 each alongside 18 months of technical support, while 130 others will receive $5,000 and a year of business mentorship. Beyond funding, the WEIDE Fund will equip beneficiaries with tools to enhance competitiveness, strengthen their digital capabilities, and expand their access to global markets.
Out of every 100 businesses in Nigeria, 39 are female-owned, according to World Bank data. Yet most remain small and excluded from global value chains due to financing and infrastructure gaps. If these women-led businesses were given adequate financing and access to digital/global markets, they could significantly boost Nigeria’s GDP, job creation, and trade competitiveness.
This highlights why the WTO’s $50m WEIDE Fund matters: it’s designed not just to acknowledge women’s participation, but to move them from small-scale survival businesses into globally competitive enterprises.
Hikmatu Bilali
Driven by his experience building companies in various sectors, the entrepreneur is now helping Ivorian creators develop their ideas. His goal is to build and support initiatives that generate lasting economic and social value.
Amidou Diarra, an Ivorian entrepreneur with ventures in e-commerce, agriculture, education, and advertising, is leveraging his experience to assist emerging business owners through his company, C'possible.
Founded in 2023, C'possible is an entrepreneurial support platform that offers a combination of mentoring, practical workshops, methodological resources, and digital tools. The company's goal is to help develop and implement new business projects.
The platform focuses on rapid action and business structuring. It guides project leaders through key stages, including idea validation, business model development, legal formalization, financial management, and marketing strategy. By providing a clear and accessible framework, C'possible aims to reduce the common barriers to launching a new business.
In addition to its direct support, C'possible is cultivating a community for entrepreneurs. The platform fosters networking and the sharing of experiences, bringing together seasoned experts and new creators to strengthen the French-speaking entrepreneurial ecosystem in Africa.
Diarra is also a co-founder of Monrezo, a platform launched in 2024. Monrezo connects individuals, professionals, and entrepreneurs seeking advice on business, career, or personal matters with African experts and public figures.
Before these projects, Diarra co-founded Diago in 2022. Diago is a digital platform that links informal retailers with supply opportunities and financial services. He served as the company's CEO until 2023, when it was acquired by Chari.co, a Moroccan e-commerce and financial services company.
A graduate in marketing and communication with certifications in coaching and personal development, Diarra began his career in 2016 at Orange Côte d'Ivoire as a press review officer. In 2018, he joined the energy company Total Côte d'Ivoire, where he worked as a gas station manager.
Melchior Koba
More...
• Super apps centralize services, boosting digital access in Africa
• Platforms like M-Pesa and Gozem drive regional adoption
• Infrastructure, regulation, and trust remain major challenges
A new generation of all-in-one applications, known as "super apps," is emerging in Africa, capable of managing a wide range of services from a single smartphone. Modeled on successful Asian platforms like WeChat and Grab, these apps integrate messaging, payments, transport, e-commerce, and even health services, providing centralized access to multiple functions. On a continent where a mobile phone is often the first point of entry to the digital world, super apps are positioning themselves as a strategic lever for accelerating digital transformation.
The super app model holds particular promise for Africa. The GSMA projects that the continent will have more than 1.1 billion mobile subscribers by 2028, even with limited physical infrastructure and banking access. By centralizing services into one application, these platforms address tangible needs for both urban and rural populations while promoting financial inclusion.
Market Leaders and Growth Drivers
Several companies are already competing in this market. M-Pesa, launched by Safaricom in Kenya, is a prominent example. Initially a money transfer service, it has evolved into a multifunctional platform that includes merchant payments, microcredit, and insurance. In West Africa, Gozem, often called "Africa’s Gojek," combines transport, delivery, mobile money, and financial services, with a strong presence in Togo and Benin. In East Africa, SafeBoda offers a similar model, ranging from motorcycle taxi booking to digital payments. Telecom operators are also developing their own ecosystems, such as Orange's Max It app, which offers mobile payments via its Orange Money service, as well as phone credit purchases, streaming television, and online shopping.
Super apps represent more than just a technical innovation. They contribute to digital and financial inclusion by reducing dependence on cash, democratizing access to services once reserved for those with bank accounts, and providing a digital storefront for small businesses. Artisans, traders, and informal entrepreneurs can reach new customers, accept electronic payments, and apply for micro-loans. These apps could also become growth engines by integrating services related to education, health, or agriculture.
Persistent Challenges
While the potential is immense, significant obstacles remain. Developing a super app requires massive investment in digital infrastructure and cybersecurity. The regulatory frameworks, which are often fragile regarding personal data management and consumer protection, present another barrier. Furthermore, a shortage of specialized skills slows the design and maintenance of these complex ecosystems. Finally, user trust remains a critical issue, as many people are still wary of digital services.
Africa does not need to simply copy the Asian model; it can create its own solutions adapted to local economic and social realities. For example, super apps could integrate cross-border payments to support the African Continental Free Trade Area or use artificial intelligence to optimize agricultural services and expand access to health and education via mobile devices. If these challenges are overcome, super apps could become a pillar of the continent's economic competitiveness by combining technological innovation, financial inclusion, and sustainable development.
Samira Njoya
• Tunisia to launch Najda platform for heart attack response
• System links ambulances, hospitals, specialists in real time
• Part of broader health digitization with international partners
Tunisia's Ministry of Health is set to roll out the digital platform Najda nationwide to detect heart attacks and trigger an immediate medical response. The initiative follows a successful pilot phase, with the platform set to become a national rapid-response tool for cardiac emergencies, according to a ministry statement on its Facebook page on Tuesday, August 12.
The ministry will equip all cardiology and emergency departments, along with SAMU ambulance services, with advanced digital equipment. The initiative includes training medical teams on the use of the new technology, in partnership with the Tunisian Society of Cardiology and the National Accreditation Authority.
Najda connects emergency services, cardiology units, and ambulances in real time. When a suspected case is reported, patient clinical data is transmitted instantly to specialists, who can guide treatment even before the patient arrives at the hospital. This reduces critical time delays, increasing the chances of survival and limiting irreversible cardiac damage.
The deployment of Najda is part of a broader health system modernization program. Tunisian authorities have established strategic partnerships, including with South Korea, to strengthen digital health capabilities. A new telemedicine center was inaugurated last week, allowing residents of inland regions to avoid long journeys for certain medical examinations.
The nationwide rollout also aims to standardize emergency protocols and improve coordination among medical facilities. Beyond the anticipated reduction in heart attack mortality, the project represents a significant step toward modernizing Tunisia's healthcare system. The experience could also serve as a model for integrating other critical emergencies, such as strokes or respiratory distress, into a unified digital network.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
After earning a degree in biomedical engineering, he founded several tech companies across different sectors, including media. Through his latest venture, he is pioneering innovations in digital logistics and supply chain transformation.
Mostafa Amin is an Egyptian entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of Breadfast, an online platform specializing in the delivery of groceries and household goods.
Founded in 2017, Breadfast operates a vertically integrated supply chain for fresh and baked goods, as well as household items. The company serves Cairo, Giza, and Alexandria, with plans to expand across Egypt and the broader Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. By operating its own bakeries and fulfillment centers, Breadfast maintains control over its production and distribution, ensuring product freshness and fast delivery.
In addition to his work with Breadfast, Amin co-founded Egyptian Streets in 2012. The independent English-language media company focuses on cultural, economic, social, and travel stories to showcase a different side of Egypt.
Before launching Breadfast, Amin co-founded Wassel in 2016, a networking platform for businesses, investors, and individuals in the MENA region. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Egypt’s Higher Technological Institute, which he earned in 2012.
Amin's professional career began in 2013, when he joined Canadian technology and content company Thomson Reuters as a communications and marketing officer. The following year, he became chief operating officer at Speakol, a content discovery and native advertising network. From 2016 to 2017, he worked as a product advisor for COOING, a digital real estate platform.
Melchior Koba
The initiative represents a linchpin in the nation’s journey to a modern, resilient, and inclusive digital government. With AI skills, officials could automate repetitive tasks, draw insights from complex datasets, and craft more responsive policies.
Kenya is gearing up to overhaul government operations with AI, aiming to equip 100,000 public servants with the skills to make it happen. The initiative was formally set in motion at the first Project Implementation Board meeting of the Regional Centre of Competence (RCOC) for Digital and AI Skilling held on August 11. The meeting was co-chaired by the Ministry of Public Service and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
For the Principal Secretary for ICT and Digital Economy, Eng. John Kipchumba Tanui, “With these steps, Kenya is firmly positioning itself as a continental hub for AI excellence — boosting efficiency, decision-making, and inclusive governance.” This vision is supported by a deepening partnership among the government, UNDP, Microsoft, and other collaborators, who will provide curriculum expertise, technology access, and research support to ensure the training is both practical and forward-looking.
The RCOC, based at the Kenya School of Government, will serve not just as a national training hub but as a continental blueprint for AI capacity building, with Kenya pledging to share its model and resources with 37 African nations. At the meeting, government leaders, development partners and tech experts endorsed the Project Board and approved an implementation plan that sets the stage for AI integration into public service delivery.
A core element of the plan is the commitment to train 100,000 civil servants in AI applications, starting with an initial cohort of 10,000 selected through transparent, merit-based criteria. Already, two-thirds of this first group are ready to begin training. The programme will integrate AI tools directly into public workflows, spanning policymaking, service delivery, and data management, enabling faster decision-making and more inclusive governance.
Public service upskilling is especially urgent. Digital transformation initiatives like the Digital Masterplan 2022–2032 aim to digitize 80% of government services, connect 100,000 km of fibre, and roll out nationwide public Wi-Fi. Yet these systems can only achieve their full potential if managed by officials who understand, adapt, and innovate with new technologies.
AI can speed up service delivery, strengthen data-driven decision-making, and make government operations more transparent and efficient. And with training rolled out in partnership with UNDP and Microsoft, public servants will gain access to globally benchmarked curricula, tools, and research networks.
If successful, the programme could serve as a model for other African nations, helping bridge the continent’s digital skills gap while enabling governments to lead in AI adoption rather than lag behind it.
Hikmatu Bilali