Africa Development Bank and African Union Commission Sign $9.73 Million Grant Agreement to Drive Digital Market Development in Africa – African Business

The African Union Commission and the African Development Bank (AUC)www.AfDB.org) have signed a grant agreement to implement Phase 1 of the Upstream Project for Digital Market Development in Africa.

The ceremony was held at the AUC Headquarters in Addis ababa, Ethiopia on November 17. The AUC Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals, Ambassador Albert M. Muchanga, and the African Development Bank’s Deputy Director General for the East Africa Region, Abul B. Kamara, signed the agreement on behalf of their institutions.

The African Development Bank’s board of directors approved the grant of 7 million Units of Account ($ 9.73 million) in September this year. The project supports the AUC’s implementation of digital economy projects to enhance a continental single digital market. It also supports the implementation and maintenance of the African Continental Free Trade Area (African Continental Free Trade Area) and the Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa.

The backdrop for the Covid-19-induced depression that exposed several gaps within the African digital economy ecosystem, is the background to the project. These gaps are addressed. Phase 1 will run from 2023 to 2026. It will include three main components: digital enablers; e-commerce adoption and digital trade; and support activities. Specifically, the project will help strengthen the frameworks (strategic, policy, regulatory and conceptual) and cross-cutting (gender, climate change and resilience) dimensions for the development of Africa’s digital economy.

These frameworks provide the foundation for establishing a single digital market on the African continent by 2030. The project will therefore contribute to the implementation of digital enablers—universal access to broadband infrastructure, sovereign African cloud, African digital market, etc.—e-commerce and digital trade promotion programs for medium, small and micro enterprises and start-ups. It will also help to create a conducive ecosystem for digital trust, skills and African experts’ networks.

Ambassador Muchanga expressed the AUC’s gratitude to the African Development Bank for its support. He said: “The Covid-19 pandemic underscored the importance of digital technologies and the digital economy as a whole, and in that regard, Africa should think big when it comes to digital development, digital economy and the grand opportunities on integration and economic growth.”

Dr. Kamara said the project would support the implementation of the African Development Bank’s High 5 priorities as accelerators to achieve Agenda 2063 targets and the continent’s economic transformation to get The Africa We Want.

He added: “It is important to create employment opportunities for millions of young Africans, which is essential for the stability and prosperity of the continent. The digital transformation of economies offers new opportunities to increase intra-Africa trade and boost economic growth.”

Distributed by APO Group for African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Contact:
Amba Mpoke – Bigg
African Development Bank Group
[email protected]

Djamel GHrid
African Union Commission
[email protected]

About the African Development Bank Group
The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It is composed of three distinct entities, the African Development Bank(AfDB), African Development Fund(ADF) and Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). The Bank has an office in Japan and is present in 41 African nations. This office contributes to economic development as well as the social progress of 54 of its member countries. For more information: www.AfDB.org