The Mano River Union (MRU) region—comprising Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Côte d'Ivoire—faces significant digital connectivity challenges due to fragmented digital systems that hinder regional economic integration, creating barriers to cross-border trade, financial transactions, and public service delivery. Unlike other African sub-regions with harmonized digital public infrastructure (DPI) strategies, the MRU region lacks interoperable solutions, making mobile money transactions costly, e-governance services inaccessible across borders, and regional data-sharing inefficient. This Lightning Talk highlights the urgent need for a unified DPI framework, focusing on cross-border mobile money interoperability to enhance financial inclusion, e-governance and data-sharing frameworks for seamless digital IDs and trade, and lessons from successful regional DPI initiatives such as the Smart Africa Alliance, UEMOA, and the East African Community. As Africa moves towards a digitally connected future, the MRU region cannot afford to be left behind; this session will explore policy recommendations, private sector engagement, and regional collaboration to accelerate digital transformation for borderless economic growth while addressing existing infrastructure gaps, proposing harmonization strategies, and calling on governments, telecom operators, and regional bodies to foster a unified digital economy for inclusive digital development in West Africa.
Aims and ObjectivesThis Lightning Talk aims to:
- Highlight the challenges of fragmented digital public infrastructure (DPI) in the Mano River Union (MRU) region—Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Côte d'Ivoire.
- Advocate for interoperable DPI solutions that enable seamless cross-border financial transactions, e-governance services, and data-sharing frameworks.
Expected OutcomesBy the end of this session, participants will:
- Gain insights into the current DPI challenges affecting cross-border connectivity in the MRU region.
- Understand the benefits of harmonized digital public infrastructure, including enhanced financial inclusion, e-governance, and regional trade facilitation.
- Identify policy and technical strategies to develop interoperable DPI frameworks in MRU countries.
- Engage in discussions on collaboration between governments, private sector, and development partners to advance digital transformation.
JustificationThe MRU region lags behind other African sub-regions in harmonizing digital public infrastructure, creating barriers to financial inclusion, trade, and digital public services. Without interoperable DPI, citizens and businesses struggle with costly mobile transactions, lack of cross-border e-governance services, and weak digital connectivity. This session is crucial as it:
- Aligns with Africa’s digital transformation goals, contributing to AfCFTA’s vision of a borderless digital economy.
- Addresses a regional gap often overlooked in continental discussions on digital public infrastructure.
- Proposes tangible solutions by drawing from successful DPI models in other African regions.
- Encourages multi-stakeholder action towards DPI harmonization for a more inclusive and connected West Africa.
- Join this session to explore how DPI can unlock borderless connectivity and drive digital inclusion in the MRU region!
