Côte d’Ivoire reaffirms commitment to accelerate digital cooperation at Europe–East Africa DPI session in Estonia

By:  Nana Appiah Acquaye

Côte d’Ivoire has reaffirmed its commitment to accelerating digital transformation and strengthening regional digital cooperation following participation in a Europe–East Africa session on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) held in Tallinn, Estonia.

The Minister of Digital Transition and Technological Innovation, Djibril Ouattara, took part in the discussions as part of a mission aimed at exploring global best practices in digitalisation and strengthening cooperation with international digital ecosystem stakeholders.

The visit provided an opportunity for engagement with global technology actors and for learning from Estonia’s widely recognised digital governance model, which is regarded as one of the most advanced digital public service systems globally.

The Ivorian delegation included senior officials such as the Director General of the National Company for Information Technology Development, SNDI, and the Director General of the Transformation of Public Service, who are both involved in ongoing public sector modernisation and digital transformation efforts in Côte d’Ivoire.

During the session, Minister Ouattara emphasised that effective digital transformation depends on the development of reliable, connected, and interoperable digital infrastructure capable of serving citizens, businesses, and public institutions efficiently.

He further underscored the importance of establishing appropriate regional interoperability frameworks to support deeper integration among African states and improve cross-border digital cooperation.

The Minister noted that Côte d’Ivoire is actively pursuing ambitious reforms and investments aimed at building a more efficient and citizen-centred public administration, while also strengthening collaboration within regional and continental frameworks including WAEMU, ECOWAS, and the Smart Africa Alliance.

He added that Africa’s digital transformation should not be a replication of external models but rather the development of context-specific solutions driven by innovation, cooperation, and trust to address the continent’s unique needs and opportunities.