I am proud and honoured to welcome you all to the Connected Africa Summit, 2024, at which we gather to inaugurate the sunrise of Africa’s digital transformation, the spark which will ignite our continent’s rapid development in every sector to accelerate Africa’s progress in realising its full economic potential.
We are here to mobilise our shared dreams and ambitions, visions and strategies to pave pathways to our shared future, a future designed and built by Africans for Africa.
Today, we come together inspired by the shared vision of a continent whose thriving economy anchors global prosperity, driven by the full participation of every citizen and where, through the relentless pursuit of innovation, integration and efficiency, our digital economy becomes the fundamental enabler of the aspirations of over a billion Africans.
The primary ambition of this Connected Africa summit is that through determined collaboration and innovation, we will lay a sustainable foundation of connectivity and empower the people of Africa to achieve the UN sustainable development goals and the AU’s Agenda 2063.
We have quite some way to go in order to be ready for the digital economy and the future of work. Africa’s internet penetration rate is 36%, translating to 473 million users in a continent of 1.4 billion people. Current projections indicate that at the current pace of development, this number will increase by an additional 300 million by 2030.
Africa’s Digital Dawn: A Shared Dream
Our continent is connected to the global internet through 19 undersea cables, which is comparatively modest compared to other continents.
For example, Europe and Asia are connected by a significantly higher number of cable landings, leading to greater broadband accessibility with profound impacts on the strong positive relationship between digital connectivity and economic prosperity.
Nevertheless, we must all 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. This critically implications our ambitions for connectivity and economic transformation through the digital economy. The reason is that even an increase of only 10% in our broadband connectivity can lead to a 1.4% GDP growth in the continent.
Additionally, our low rate of connectivity also presents other challenges. For instance, Africa’s average broadband speed is 8.18 Megabits per second (Mbps). At 5% of the Monthly Gross National Income per capita, data costs represent a significant expense and place connectivity beyond the reach of the most vulnerable.
These statistics must serve as an urgent call to action and motivate us to radically enhance Africa’s digital infrastructure and unleash our young, vibrant continent’s immense economic and innovative potential.
Our vision for the future is bold, clear, urgent, and feasible. Under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), we aim to harness Pan-African integration to expand our collective GDP from $1.7 trillion to $2.5 trillion by 2030.
This ambition must be complemented by a strong commitment to bridge the huge digital divide undermining our continent’s growth prospects.
Today, 300 million people across Africa live more than 50 Kilometers away from an active fibre optic connection, a yawning physical gap that denies them access to the internet and separates them from all the possibilities of the digital economy.
Globally, Africa’s digital infrastructure coverage, access, and quality must catch up to other regions. Yet it does not have to be this way because the most transformative interventions are a decision away.
At the end of 2021, 84 percent of people in our region lived in areas where the third-generation network technology (3G connectivity service) was available, while 63% had access to 4G mobile coverage. Regrettably, only 22% were using mobile internet services.
This gap between coverage and usage is similarly large for broadband internet connectivity, with 61% of people in our region living within the broadband range but unable to use it.
The imperative is straightforward and entails determined interventions to significantly increase broadband access and enhance service quality and affordability. In turn, higher digital inclusion will intensify job creation and poverty reduction.
Uniting for Africa’s Digital Revolution
Beyond infrastructure, a thriving digital economy requires the presence of a sizable and highly skilled digital workforce to build on advances in digital technology to drive innovation and productivity. This creates a dynamic ecosystem that ushers enterprises into the digital economy and enables them to scale up successfully.
By establishing these essential foundations, the private sector should automatically emerge as the primary driver of emerging transformative use cases.
I agree with everyone here that at the heart of our digital transformation are our young talents. These brilliant minds are actively contributing to the growth of the global technology sector, marking Africa as an indispensable hub of technological innovation. Driven by bold creativity and an indomitable entrepreneurial spirit, African youth are pioneering advances in Fintech, agri-tech, renewable energy, and digital services.
They are a generation that has been socialised to internalise 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, including improving access to basic services like education and healthcare and facilitating sustainable resource management.
The youth are our fundamental constituency, the principal builders, and the beneficiaries of a digitally enabled society where every African can thrive. The theme of this Summit underlines this understanding, providing us with a platform to amplify and accelerate the contributions of the youth throughout our continent.
It is clear, therefore, that 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. Africa’s digital economy has immense potential, projected to reach $712 billion by 2050. This growth projection is informed by some key positive factors, beginning with unfolding demographic dynamics: Briefly, our youthful population – the youngest globally – is motivated and prepared to drive the digital economy, foster innovation and entrench new technologies.
The second critical factor is the potential growth due to increased digital penetration and an enhanced pace of infrastructure development.
With over 160 million Africans gaining broadband access between 2019 and 2022 and a 115% increase in internet users between 2016 and 2021, we have laid a solid foundation for the digital economy’s expansion and built significant momentum for transformative economic growth.
Consequently, we are poised to achieve exponential progress with further investments in expansion.
Thirdly, the rise of African fintech innovation can no longer be ignored. Our fintech sector is now firmly at the forefront of global innovation, with its products transforming economic activities by facilitating inclusive service delivery and interventions like mobile payments, thereby significantly advancing digital inclusion.
I cannot forget to mention the huge positive role that international solidarity and regional support have also greatly contributed to the strength of the projected growth of Africa’s digital economy.
For example, the World Bank’s $2.8 billion investment in digital development projects enables African countries to surmount challenges in developing digital infrastructure and drive sustainable growth of safe, inclusive digital economies.
More partnerships like this are essential for our digital and economic inclusion agenda. They are also sound investments whose dividends will endure for generations to come.
I wish to emphasise to the global community, especially financial institutions and private investors, that betting on Africa’s future now is the best investment decision with unprecedented immediate and long-term benefits.
In addition, we have developed our Policy and Regulatory Frameworks through effective collaboration into fundamental enablers of Africa’s digital transformation.
Consequently, harmonised ICT sector policies instituted under the AfCFTA and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 are crucial in fostering cross-border coordination and investment, facilitating aggressive growth.
Also, ongoing efforts to accelerate Pan-African economic diversification and consumer market expansion further bolster the development of an expansive market for digital services.
Through our commitment to invest in the development of broadband infrastructure and foster the emergence of a digitally enabled society, we shall lay the foundations for an inclusive, prosperous African future where every citizen can thrive as an active participant in an interconnected global economy. This strategic focus is about connectivity and empowering every citizen in a dynamic digital landscape.
Seizing the Digital Opportunity
I am encouraged to note that the intentional positioning of the ICT sector aligns with Africa’s overarching economic growth strategy, which leverages the digital economy to catalyse the development of various sectors.
The ICT sector, supported by Africa’s phenomenal demographic dividend, deliberate infrastructural improvements, innovative fintech solutions, and strategic policy frameworks, is intended to drive Africa’s transition into a global leader in the digital economy.
Kenya’s sustained commitment to digital transformation provides a good example of what we should aim to achieve throughout Africa and the benefits it will deliver.
At 64 million mobile connections, Kenya’s mobile connectivity is 118% of our population. As of the end of 2022, mobile data or internet subscriptions were 47.8 million, with 67% comprising mobile broadband connections. Our ICT sector has continued to grow at over 10% annually. To build on this achievement, sustain the growth momentum and deepen ICT and digital inclusion, we have embedded last-mile fibre-optic connectivity as a strategic pillar of our bottom-up economic transformation agenda. 22. Under this vision, we aim to connect 100,000 institutions and markets and significantly increase fixed broadband access from 1.2 million to 8 million out of 12 million households between 2022 and 2030.
Furthermore, we have reviewed our building codes to ensure all new buildings are fibre-optic-ready. These initiatives underscore Kenya’s dedication to delivering sustainable universal digital access.
We are implementing the national Citizen Digital Skills Program, a transformative initiative to bolster digital ICT inclusion in remote parts of the country. Through the DigiTruck programme, for example, we have committed to providing citizens nationwide with 40 hours of digital skills and innovation training free of charge, delivered through mobile units.
An impressive outcome of this initiative is that over 35% of people who completed training went on to start new businesses, and 70% have since passed their skills onwards to other citizens. This is the impact of a simple intervention in terms of empowering the youth, and it affirms the promise of our collaborative approach and the power of partnerships in achieving ambitious goals.
We deliberate on fostering a robust e-commerce environment as we enhance our digital connectivity infrastructure.
The objective is to broaden market access for Kenyan entrepreneurs and integrate them into the global digital economy. 25. Our ICT sector continues to expand due to emerging technologies and our increasing sophistication in the Digital Economy.
This trend is going to be increasing in every country on our continent. Accordingly, we see a great and urgent need to design and implement a harmonised model of regulation governed by a Network of ICT Authorities that shall oversee the integration of the digital transformation initiatives throughout the continent in accordance with the AU 2063 Agenda for ICT.
We are eager to share these experiences and learn from our colleagues across the continent. We shall rise together by sharing knowledge and experiences, pooling resources, harmonising strategies, aligning investments, and working as partners. This collaborative spirit is what we need to transform Africa into a digitally empowered and economically thriving continent.
It is also why we are gathered here, as this inaugural Connected Africa summit mobilises us, together with our esteemed global partners, to collaborate with ambition and transcend our challenges, enabling Africa to rise towards its destiny.
Therefore, the expected outcomes of this Connected Africa Summit are not mere objectives but concrete, impactful commitments and milestones on our journey towards innovative environmental leadership and strategic global alliances that will expand our infrastructure, secure our digital spaces, and democratise access to technology, ensuring every African is included in our digital revolution.
Today’s Everyone recognises the singular opportunity to unite our continent, inspire collaboration and innovation, and transform the ICT ecosystem, connectivity infrastructure and digital economy.
The time has come for us to mobilise our collective visions, align our wills, focus our aspirations and unite our energies in pursuit of Africa’s digital intention, economic transformation and inclusive growth. The Connected Africa Summit has officially opened. Thank you. God bless you, God bless Africa.
Remarks by Dr William Ruto, President of Kenya, during the official opening of the Connected Africa Summit, April 22, 2024. Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi.
