EAC, EU commit to human-centric digital transformation
ARUSHA: THE East African Community (EAC) and the European Union (EU) officially launched the EU-EAC Regional Co-Creation Workshop on Digital Transformation on Monday in Arusha.
According to a statement posted on EAC Secretariat yesterday, both parties reaffirmed their commitment to a human-centric approach to digital transformation, leveraging technology and innovation to enhance regional integration.
This two-day workshop, co-organised by the EAC Secretariat and the EU, and facilitated by the Digital for Development (D4D) Hub, represents a significant step toward shaping a digital economy package for East Africa.
It gathers stakeholders from the EAC region, including delegates from all Partner States, representatives from Ministries of ICT and Cybersecurity, Ministries of Trade, Central Banks, e-Government Agencies and the EAC Secretariat.
Participants also include members of the EU Delegation, EU member states and their development agencies, such as GIZ, MFA/EstDev and MFA/Expertise France.
As part of its digital transformation journey, the EAC initiated consultations with partner states in 2022, further accelerating momentum during the EAC Regional Digital Transformation Conference in October 2023.
Held in collaboration with the EU under a Team Europe Initiative, the conference identified seven strategic areas for engagement aligned with the 6th EAC Development Strategy’s goal of fast-tracking digital transformation in the region.
These priorities include connectivity, data governance, e-governance/cybersecurity, e-commerce, ICT regulations, digital innovation and digital skills.
Based on these areas, a joint digital transformation roadmap was developed to guide cooperation between the EAC and Team Europe.
Proposed short-term actions include initiatives to enhance the data economy across borders, develop green and secure data centres (data governance), establish comprehensive electronic cross-border health services (e-governance/cybersecurity) and create systems for a cross-border e-payment network (e-commerce).
Building on these efforts, the EAC, with support from GIZ, has developed a Digital Transformation Strategy, which has been agreed upon by partner states and is expected to launch in November 2024.
The co-creation workshop aims to review progress on digital development collaboration, support the formulation of the Safe Digital Boost for Africa (SDBA) initiative and initiate the appraisal process for a digital economy package tailored to East Africa.
The SDBA initiative is expected to assist the EAC in implementing the Digital Transformation Strategy.
In her opening remarks, EAC Deputy Secretary General Ms Annette Ssemuwemba reflected on the digital transformation journey, highlighting the development of the EAC Digital Transformation Strategy, which has been validated and lays a strong foundation for the SDBA Project.
“This project is not just about technology; it is about the future success of our entire region. It represents a strategic move toward creating an interoperable regional digital market that will drive innovation, economic growth and inclusive development.
By fostering digital trade and integrating technology into key sectors such as e-commerce, data governance and cybersecurity, we aim to transform lives across East Africa and create a competitive edge for our region in the global economy,” she said.
EU Head of Cooperation, Marc Stalmans, emphasised the success of previous engagements and the EU’s ongoing commitment to supporting digital transformation in East Africa.
“Today’s event follows last year’s EU-EAC Regional Conference on Digital Transformation, which launched our joint efforts toward an inclusive, human-centric digital transformation. The discussions led to a Digital Roadmap with key milestones, shaping the Safe Digital Boost for Africa initiative, a programme we are proud to finance that will support digital economy activities in areas such as e-commerce, e-payments, e-governance and cybersecurity,” he stated.
Deputy Coordinator for Africa at the D4D Hub, Hussein Jaffar, highlighted the role of the Hub as a platform to identify synergies and support the co-creation of joint European initiatives based on extensive bilateral and multilateral cooperation experience.
“Coordinated and simultaneous action in key areas of digital transformation is crucial in a dynamic region with rapid growth in digitalisation,” he said.
The conference featured deep-dive sessions on e-commerce and payment, e-governance, cybersecurity, and national-regional interlinkages, facilitating a co-design approach and yielding key recommendations for collaboration.
