By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Africa needs stronger
cross-border digital infrastructure and interoperability to move beyond
fragmented digital systems and build a more connected digital economy,
according to Lacina Koné, CEO of Smart Africa and Secretariat of AI Council for
Africa.
Koné made the remarks on the
margins of #UNGA81 during a high-level dialogue on Digital Public
Infrastructure (DPI), where he shared perspectives on how African countries can
strengthen digital integration while maintaining national sovereignty.
He said interoperability
should be treated as a core component of digital infrastructure rather than an
afterthought, with countries needing to build trust and establish common
standards to support a connected African digital economy.
“Interoperability cannot be
an afterthought. We can preserve national sovereignty while building the trust
and common standards needed for a truly connected African digital economy,”
Koné said.
He also emphasised that
deeper digital integration across the continent does not require countries to
adopt identical digital systems.
“Digital integration does
not require digital uniformity,” he said.
The discussions highlight
the growing focus on Digital Public Infrastructure as African countries seek to
strengthen digital connectivity, interoperability and cross-border digital
services while retaining national control over their digital systems.
