MWC- Africa, Kigali, Rwanda
Keynote
ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin
17 October 2023
Director General of GSMA,
Ministers,
Excellencies,
ladies and gentlemen,
It's an honor to join you for MWC Kigali 2023 and to feel the energy, passion and commitment for Africa's digital transformation in this room.
And it's wonderful to be back in Rwanda − a place where many ITU memories were created.
It's here, in this iconic Convention Center, just over a year ago, that our Member States adopted the Kigali Action Plan at the World Telecommunication Development Conference − charting a course for digital development that aligns closely with the Sustainable Development Goals.
And it's during this conference that we launched the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition − a global multi-stakeholder effort to advance meaningful connectivity in the hardest-to-connect communities.
At this historic launch, Partner2Connect secured more than 360 pledges worth over 18 billion US dollars.
Now, 16 months later, we just celebrated our 800th P2C pledge, bringing us closer to 32 billion on our road to 100 billion by 2026. And Africa is at the core of this effort.
This gives us the kind of velocity needed to scale meaningful connectivity across the continent.
As President Kagame said at our SDG Digital event in New York last month ahead of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, this shows that we're taking steps in the right direction to build digital capacity where it can have the greatest impact.
And that's what I want to talk about today. The three areas where we can have the greatest impact on Africa's digital transformation.
First, the usage gap.
As Mats Granryd highlighted, most of those who still don't use mobile Internet live in areas covered by mobile broadband, with the usage gap reaching close to 60% in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In Sierra Leone, for example, 80% of schools are covered by 3G or 4G, but less than 2% of them are actually connected to the Internet.
That's the message that the country's Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation delivered just last month in New York, stressing that connected schools have the potential to increase GDP to as much as 14%.
This means there's a lot of room for hope, especially when it comes to improving affordability (device issues) and digital skills.
And it's not an 'either-or' issue.
We need to focus our efforts on everything that can make connectivity more meaningful, including infrastructure.
I saw it firsthand when I recently visited the Melkadida refugee camp in Ethiopia on the border with Somalia.
That's why ITU, UNHCR and GSMA joined forces to launch a global pledge to ensure all major refugee camps and hosting communities have available and affordable connectivity by 2030.
And this brings me to the second area: partnerships; bold, innovative partnerships (like P2C) that can have a direct impact on the ground.
That's the case for this global call to action with GSMA and UNHCR, which will advance the digital inclusion of over 20 million forcibly displaced people and local host communities.
That's also the case for the High-Impact Initiative on Digital Public Infrastructure led by ITU and UNDP launched during the UN General Assembly.
DPI is the backbone of digital transformation, with universal connectivity at its core.
This initiative will support efforts in 100 countries by 2030 — giving many African countries unprecedented agency over their own digital journeys.
Third, sustainability.
Universal connectivity and sustainable digital transformation go hand in hand. They're the bedrock of ITU's strategic priorities.
And African nations are showing the way in areas like e-waste.
The experience of countries like Rwanda, who is strengthening extended producer responsibility, provides interesting approaches for all countries to consider when building an e-waste management system.
Africa is also showing the way in climate action.
A strong message was sent by leaders who recently gathered at the first Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi sent by calling for green investments and showing the world that Africa is ready to lead with:
- Technology supporting economic development plans for climate-positive growth;
- Technology to propel Africa's economic growth and job creation in a manner that not only limits emissions but also aids global decarbonization efforts;
- Technology to enhance early warning systems and climate information service. And I'm also pleased that Africa just launched its Early Warning for All Action Plan − an important step in saving lives and livelihoods on a continent that suffers disproportionately from climate change.
I'm certain that the African delegates who will head to Dubai for our World Radiocommunication Conference in just a few weeks will follow their example, and show the way, as the outcomes of WRC-23 can pave the way for new, more innovative ways to connect the continent. So much of our common digital future rests on the use of frequency spectrum and associated satellite orbits.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Closing the usage gap.
Building bold partnerships.
Investing in sustainable digital transformation.
The steps we take now to build an inclusive and sustainable digital future will define the rest of the century — what could be the African century.
This comes at a time when we need to put the SDGs back on track, when Africa is moving towards its Agenda 2063.
So, let's embrace this opportunity to unite our efforts and ensure that digital lives up to its potential for everyone, everywhere, across this great continent.
Thank you.
