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The East African Community (EAC) and the European Union’s (EU) recently held a regional conference on Digital Transformation in the East African Community in Arusha committed to fostering a human-centric digital transformation in the region to utilise digital technologies and innovations for regional integration.
The East African Community (EAC) and the European Union (EU) recently held a regional conference on Digital Transformation in the East African Community in Arusha committed to fostering a human-centric digital transformation in the region to utilise digital technologies and innovations for regional integration.
The conference, facilitated by the Digital for Development (D4D) Hub, united key stakeholders from the EAC region and European partners to assess the current state of digital transformation in the region and explore opportunities through a ‘Team-Europe’ initiative, which includes the EU and its member states. The strategy aims to mobilise EUR300 billion in investment to boost smart, clean, and secure digital, energy, and transport links and strengthen health, education, and research systems worldwide.
The conference identified seven strategic areas of engagement, aligning with the priorities of the 6th EAC Development Strategy, which seeks to expedite digital transformation in East Africa. These areas include connectivity, data governance, e-governance or cybersecurity, e-commerce, information communication telecommunication regulations, digital innovation, and digital skills. Based on these areas of engagement, a joint roadmap has been developed to guide the cooperation between EAC and Team Europe.
Officiating the conference, EAC Secretary General Peter Mutuku Mathuki stated that the EAC is keen on creating a single regional Digital Market comprising an online market, a data market, and a connectivity market. This is underpinned by digital skills, innovation, infrastructure, financing, and a conducive legal and regulatory environment. Achieving this requires digitalisation in various sectors and integration platforms.
During the conference, Dr Mathuki, who hailed the European Union as EAC’s long-standing strategic partner, stated that the EAC’s primary goal is to develop a regional digital market for digital trade in East Africa. He added that the going digital initiative is crucial for the region’s development and for the effective implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
To achieve this, among other things, establish political agreements and fair platforms for an interoperable regional digital market,” Dr Mathuki highlighted. The partner states also need to agree on regulations to foster digital markets, including data governance and artificial intelligence (AI) standards. It is also incumbent on Partner States to harmonise regulations and build capacity for data governance and AI standards.
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The significance of the conference was further underscored by the simultaneous launch of the Digital Economy Package by the EU Commissioner for International Partnerships.
This event emphasises the EU’s commitment to digital transformation in East Africa, reaffirming its dedication to nurturing innovation and fostering connectivity within the region.
