Connected Africa Summit 2024, Nairobi

The Connected Africa Summit 2024 is underway in Nairobi. Government delegates from across Africa, alongside ICT officials and representatives from international organizations, have convened in Nairobi for the Connected Africa Summit. The summit aims to delve into the future of technology, unlocking growth opportunities beyond mere connectivity, and tackling the various challenges and prospects within the continent's information and technology sector.

On Monday, 21 April, President William Ruto ceremonially inaugurated the first Connected Africa Summit 2024, held at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi.

During the opening ceremony, President Ruto emphasized the pivotal role of African youth in driving the continent's digital transformation agenda. He highlighted them as essential contributors and beneficiaries of a digitally empowered society, crucial for the overall success of the continent.

President Ruto underscored the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of African youth, positioning them as leaders in pioneering advancements across sectors such as Fintech, Agri-Tech, renewable energy, and digital services.

"With their brilliant minds, they are actively contributing to the growth of the global technology sector marking out Africa as an indispensable hub of technological innovation. They are a generation which has been socialized to internalize technology as a basic need and way of life that is essential not only for economic growth, but also as a vital tool for solving the most pressing challenges of our time," the president said.

The President also emphasized that the Summit serves as a platform for establishing a durable framework for connectivity across the continent, empowering its citizens to realize the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union's Agenda 2063.

However, he acknowledged that Africa is still in the early stages of preparing for the digital economy and the future of work. He highlighted that the continent's internet penetration rate is currently at 36 percent, with 473 million users in a population of 1.4 billion. He pointed out that at the current rate of progress, these numbers are projected to rise by 300 million by 2030.

"We must therefore be concerned by the fact that our rate of connectivity is poorer than the existing potential: Despite these connections, fixed broadband penetration in Africa is only about 5%, which leaves us far behind other regions of the globe," he remarked, emphasizing that this situation has serious implications for the continent's aspirations for connectivity and economic transformation via the digital economy.

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The President stated that within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Africa seeks to utilize Pan-African integration to increase the combined GDP from $1.7 trillion to $2.5 trillion by 2030.

"This ambition must be complemented by strong commitment to bridge the huge digital divide which undermines our continent's growth prospects. Globally, Africa's digital infrastructure coverage, access, and quality lags behind other regions. Yet it does not have to be this way, because the most transformative interventions are a decision away," he mentioned, emphasizing the differences in connectivity levels among people in the region.

"Closing the digital divide is a priority in terms of enhancing connectivity, expanding the contribution of the ICT sector to Africa's GDP and driving overall GDP growth which will be attained through determined interventions to significantly increase access to broadband services, and to enhance both service quality and affordability which will intensify job creations and poverty reduction," he added.

The Connected Africa Summit 2024, operating under the theme, "Shaping the Future of a Connected Africa: Unleashing Growth Beyond Connectivity," serves as a prominent international platform for influential African policymakers and decision-makers to influence the trajectory of Africa's digital economic landscape. This week-long Summit, which is now in its second day, aims to expand on the accomplishments of the Connected Summit, which, for the past 14 years, has brought together leading global ICT visionaries and policymakers to promote inventive concepts and collaborations that harness technology.

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Experts argue that digital transformation in Africa has the potential to enhance its industrialization, diminish poverty, generate employment opportunities, and enhance the quality of life for its citizens.

As per the World Bank, 36 percent of Africa's 1.3 billion populace has internet access, with certain regions experiencing subpar service quality compared to others.

Statistics from the international financial institution reveal a 115 percent surge in internet users across Africa from 2016 to 2021, with 160 million individuals gaining access to broadband internet between 2019 and 2022.

Africa's digital expansion has been hindered by the absence of accessible, secure, and dependable internet infrastructure, crucial for bridging the digital divide and mitigating inequalities.

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