Nigeria is set to take a leading role in driving Africa's digital transformation following a landmark agreement at a major United Nations meeting. The decision establishes a continent-wide initiative aimed at accelerating the digital economy and closing pervasive gaps in access and skills.
UN Meeting Paves Way for Digital Acceleration
The pivotal agreement was reached at the Nigerian Government Side-event of the WSIS+20 UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting, which concluded at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Delegates recognized an urgent need for deeper collaboration, leading to the creation of the Africa Digital Economy Accelerator Initiative.
A formal communiqué issued after the three-day meeting outlined the framework. It calls on African nations to forge public-private partnerships (PPP) that are focused on delivering tangible results. The primary goal of these partnerships will be to bridge the significant divides in digital infrastructure, access, and literacy across the continent.
Key Strategies and Implementation Plans
The initiative outlines several concrete strategies to move from dialogue to action. A major focus will be on developing inclusive digital public goods and infrastructure that align with both national realities and broader regional agendas.
Regulatory sandboxes will be promoted as a tool for governments to pilot innovative and inclusive technologies in a controlled environment. Furthermore, the plan emphasizes deepening grassroots engagement to ensure that policies are co-created with citizens and effectively reach underserved and remote regions.
To ensure coordinated action, the WSIS+20 framework will establish a regular meeting schedule alongside annual Internet governance forums at national, sub-regional, and regional levels. A functional helpdesk system with liaisons in each participating organization will be created to coordinate the exchange of data and knowledge. This will be supported by a common virtual platform for operational efficiency.
Nigeria's Central Coordinating Role
For Nigeria, the communiqué designates a clear leadership path. The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has been tasked with a crucial dual role. It will serve as the coordination secretariat for Nigeria's own multi-stakeholder engagements and will lead in implementing the enhanced digital cooperation Accelerator for Africa.
NITDA's mandate includes encouraging joint reporting on WSIS action lines and advocating for the use of regulatory sandboxes and community-driven policy creation across Africa. The agency will operate within an informal, non-binding working framework that allows members to convene and address other agreed-upon themes of concern as they arise.
A Framework for Sustainable Digital Growth
The overarching mission is to foster a digital transformation across Africa underpinned by effective data governance, in line with African Union frameworks. The initiative also commits to operationalizing follow-up and monitoring mechanisms with relevant statistical authorities to track progress.
All African countries are encouraged to establish functional multi-stakeholder processes, guided by the Netmundial+10 Outcome document (São Paulo Multistakeholder Guidelines). This local follow-up mechanism is designed to align all WSIS+20 activities with the broader goal of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
