African governments will need to invest more in digital infrastructure if they are to compete with the already established economies, leaders at the Connected Africa Summit have said.
While the digital revolution has swept across the globe, transforming economies and societies, for many African nations, the promise of a digital future remained unfulfilled due to low government expenditure on digital infrastructure.
This is according to government representatives from Africa, along with Information and Communication Technology officials and international organisations that have gathered in Nairobi for this year's Connected Africa Summit.
African governments, have been grappling with competing priorities and budget constraints, allocating only a fraction of their resources to digital infrastructure development.
For instance in Kenya, the government dedicated about Sh15. 1 billion to fund projects in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, ending June.
The funding patterns are almost similar across African countries, with the ICT sector hugely underfunded.
Experts now say this will have to change if the continent is to achieve a connected Africa.
Zambia Minister of Technology and Science Felix Mutati, during a facility visit of the Africa Data Centre in Nairobi, said that Kenya and Africa in general are better placed to improve their infrastructure with already developed research frameworks.
"Africa doesn't have to invest much in research.....people have already invested in that and Africa can pick it up from where they are. To be a competitive Africa, we need a digital infrastructure that delivers solutions and data centre are part of that," said Mutati.
This comes as the ICT policymakers in the continent are renewing the push to develop policies that will help attract investments, to build the continent’s digital infrastructure in order to help close the digital divide.
The week-long event is exploring ways to improve Africa's technology usage, enhance continental connectivity, boost competitiveness, and ensure the continent keeps up with the ever-evolving tech sector.
“We have got opportunities to enhance the level of digital public infrastructure for Africa. We need to enhance the level of fibre connectivity, our internet connectivity so that we have universal access and we have digital inclusivity,” Kenya's Information and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary, Eliud Owalo, said.
According to the stakeholders, Kenya has made significant progress in improving connectivity, advancing technology, and promoting digital inclusion.
Speaking at the summit, President William Ruto on Monday said the review will ensure all new buildings in the country are fibre-optic-ready, in order to increase sustainable universal access and close the digital gap.
Africa Data Centres regional managing director Dan Kwach said the region is witnessing increased demand for these digital infrastructures, prompting need for more investments.
Africa's internet penetration rate stands at 36 per cent, translating to 470 million users in a continent of 1.4 billion people, which is below the global average of 66 per cent.
According to the World Bank, 36 per cent of Africa's population have access to the internet, and in some of the areas that have connections, the quality of the service is poor compared to other regions.
The international financial institution figures show that Africa saw a 115 per cent increase in internet users between 2016 and 2021 and that 160 million gained broadband internet access between 2019 and 2022.
In the past couple of years, Kenya has made significant investments in developing data center infrastructure, establishing Nairobi as a regional hub for data hosting and digital services.
Already, Kenya has embarked on the process of reviewing the country’s building code in a bid to increase fixed broadband connectivity to reach 12 million households within the next six years.
