Regional Summit on Digital Transformation in Western and Central africa - Cotonou Declaration

COTONOU DECLARATION I. PREAMBLE We, Ministers responsible for the Digital Economy of the Member States of West and Central Africa, gathered in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, reaffirm our shared commitment to accelerate digital transformation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) as drivers of inclusive growth, job creation, and regional integration. We recognize that these transformations must first and foremost serve and empower people, by creating jobs, strengthening the resilience of our communities, and enhancing the competitiveness of our economies. We welcome the progress achieved in our countries in expanding broadband, building digital infrastructure, developing digital skills, and enhancing cybersecurity, while noting that major challenges remain in terms of financing, governance, and inclusion. We recognize the commitment of regional institutions, the private sector, and technical and financial partners to advance Africa’s digital transformation agenda. We reaffirm our collective commitment to building, by 2030, a Single African Digital Market based on connectivity, trust, innovation, sustainability, and ethical AI, so that no country and no citizen is left behind in the digital economy. II. VISION AND STRATEGIC COMMITMENTS We aspire to an Africa where every citizen, in particular youth, women, and vulnerable groups, fully benefits from the opportunities offered by digital technologies and AI; where technology boosts entrepreneurship, productivity, and decent employment; and where Africa emerges as a global hub for digital talent and innovation. To translate this vision into measurable progress, we commit to achieving the following objectives: 1. Universal connectivity and resilient infrastructure. Ensure affordable and reliable broadband access for all, covering at least 95 percent of the population by 2030. Promote cross-border infrastructure, open access, and energy-efficient systems to reduce the digital divide. 2. Inclusive digital public services and reliable data systems. Deploy interoperable digital public infrastructure – digital identification, payments, and data exchange – enabling at least two-thirds of citizens to access secure online services by 2030. Strengthen cybersecurity, data protection, and AI governance frameworks to build trust and safeguard rights. 3. Jobs, innovation, and artificial intelligence for sustainable growth. Equip youth, persons with disabilities, and women with digital and entrepreneurial skills, and ensure that at least 70 percent of young graduates attain a basic level of digital literacy by 2030. Create two million new jobs in the digital economy. Develop regional capacities in computing power, cloud services, and data management to meet national hosting needs. Strengthen innovation ecosystems and promote African-made digital and AI solutions that are inclusive and ethical. 4. Sustainable financing and regional cooperation. Integrate digital transformation into national budgets and regional programs. Develop competitive regional digital markets by reducing barriers to entry and fostering private investment. Mobilize public and private financing through blended finance mechanisms, regional innovation and venture capital funds, and partnerships that prioritize youth, women, persons with disabilities, and job creation. 5. Harmonized policy and governance frameworks. Establish inclusive and harmonized digital policies based on accountable governance mechanisms that align national and regional strategies, legal frameworks, and institutional coordination, in order to build sustainable and interoperable digital ecosystems. Promote structured coordination and joint implementation of digital initiatives to strengthen trust, transparency, innovation, and inclusive participation in the digital economy. We also commit to strengthening coordination between governments, regional bodies, and partners through a common monitoring framework and an annual review of progress in digital transformation. Each Member State will designate a national focal point responsible for ensuring alignment with the regional priorities of the Cotonou Declaration. To reinforce the impact and monitoring of these commitments, we will develop, as part of the post-Cotonou roadmap, a regional framework of common indicators covering digital inclusion, affordability, service quality, skills, employment and digital trust, as well as shared principles for interoperability, data protection and cybersecurity. III. EXPECTED RESULTS BY 2028 We agree to measure progress through concrete results that demonstrate impact on inclusive growth and employment: Connectivity and access: - Halve the average cost of data. - Reduce the usage gap by one-quarter. - Ensure that 70 percent of rural households have access to affordable Internet. - Extend broadband coverage to 90 percent of the population. - Harmonize roaming tariffs. - Foster cooperation between States to interconnect national backbones and deploy regional Internet exchange points (IXPs) to secure and optimize African data traffic. - Ensure that at least 60 percent of mobile network infrastructure has migrated to 4G/5G, and develop partnerships to establish regional assembly units for affordable digital devices. Digital services: - Provide secure digital identity to at least 50 percent of citizens. - Achieve interoperable payments in 15 countries and reduce the cost of cross-border digital transfers by 40 percent. - Make ten priority e-government services available in all Member States. - Double intra-African e-commerce. - Adopt harmonized data protection instruments, recognizing that a breach in one partner State constitutes an attack on the regional community. - Achieve administrative interoperability: protocols and technical infrastructure enabling dematerialized cross-border exchanges (customs, immigration) in 60 percent of the region. Jobs and skills: - Enable two million young people, persons with disabilities, and women to benefit from digital jobs or digital entrepreneurship opportunities. - Train 20 million people in digital skills. - Train 200,000 professionals in cybersecurity and digital technologies. - Make three regional centers of excellence in AI fully operational. - Promote the development of specialized training infrastructure to strengthen local expertise in emerging technologies and support the creation of high-quality jobs. Data and artificial intelligence: - Ensure that regional data centers host at least 40 percent of critical government data. - Deploy regional IXPs to secure African data traffic. - Implement AI application programs in priority sectors in at least ten countries. - Adopt harmonized frameworks for cybersecurity, data governance, and AI. Governance and coordination: · Establish a regional mechanism to monitor digital transformation, ensuring accountability, peer learning, and coherence of national and regional initiatives. · Encourage the use of advanced digital solutions, including artificial intelligence, to improve productivity, administrative transparency and cross-border exchanges, in line with national and regional frameworks IV. PARTNERSHIPS AND FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS We recognize that Africa’s digital transformation is a shared responsibility, requiring strong leadership, robust partnerships, and coordinated investments. The Regional Economic Communities of West and Central Africa, together with the African Union, will play a central role in harmonizing digital policies, standards, and regulations to ensure interoperability, cybersecurity, and data protection. They will coordinate regional programs on digital skills, innovation, and entrepreneurship, and support cross-border initiatives on e-commerce, digital payments, and data flows, thereby fostering integration, added value, and job creation. The private sector is recognized as a key driver of innovation, investment, and employment. Companies and investors are encouraged to expand broadband and data infrastructure, particularly in underserved areas, and to contribute actively to training, mentoring, and entrepreneurship for youth, persons with disabilities, and women. Digital and AI solutions developed in Africa will be promoted as levers for inclusive growth and job creation across all economic sectors. Governments reaffirm their commitment to establish predictable and transparent regulatory and fiscal frameworks that foster responsible investment and sustainable innovation. They will strengthen institutional capacities for agile and responsive regulation, reduce investment barriers, and address market power to ensure fair competition. Blended finance instruments – guarantees, credit, equity, and public-private partnerships – will be developed to catalyze investments in digital infrastructure and data systems. Governments will also co-finance training, certification, and entrepreneurship programs with private actors so that each initiative contributes to sustainable employment and inclusion. Technical and financial partners are invited to align their support with the priorities of this Declaration, as well as with national and regional initiatives that promote the development of the digital economy. We commit to developing innovative financing mechanisms that combine public resources, private capital, and development assistance in order to accelerate digitalization, job creation, and sustainability. Universal service funds will be strengthened to more effectively connect all areas and reduce the usage gap. Renewable energy and interconnection systems will be promoted so that Africa’s digital infrastructure remains resilient, sustainable, and low-carbon. The post-Cotonou implementation roadmap will further specify mechanisms to mobilize appropriate and flexible financing, including risk-reduction instruments and innovative approaches that facilitate digital investment in countries with more limited institutional capacity. We will work to establish a Regional Digital Transformation Financing Mechanism (Digital Transformation Facility) responsible for mobilizing and coordinating investments, technical assistance, and policy support needed for the implementation of the Declaration, while ensuring coherence between regional priorities and sustainable financing. Together, we will ensure that every dollar invested in digital transformation generates measurable impact. V. GOVERNANCE AND MONITORING Determined to turn these commitments into measurable results, we will establish a regional digital transformation dashboard to track progress in connectivity, inclusion, innovation, and employment. A regional digital forum, held annually, will bring together governments, regional bodies, the private sector, and development partners to assess progress, share experiences, and set priorities for the coming year. Regional economic communities, with the support of technical and financial partners, will publish an Annual Report on Digital Transformation, presenting progress achieved, lessons learned, and results obtained, including in terms of jobs, enterprises created, and investments mobilized. Each Member State will designate a national focal point responsible for coordinating implementation between national and regional levels, in line with the Cotonou Declaration. These mechanisms will ensure transparency, mutual learning, and accountability, while keeping Africa’s digital transformation aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and international best practices. VI. CALL TO ACTION We, Ministers and representatives of the States of West and Central Africa, call on all governments, regional organizations, the private sector, civil society, youth, women, and development partners to join forces over the next 24 months to accelerate tangible progress by 2028. We place youth, persons with disabilities, and women at the heart of Africa’s digital future and underline the urgency of building strong foundations in digital technologies and AI to achieve inclusive, job-creating growth. We reaffirm that digital transformation is not only a technological imperative, but also a political and social priority, essential for sovereignty, competitiveness, and shared prosperity. We invite all Member States to adopt, by 2028, National Digital Compacts that express a high-level political commitment and define clear roadmaps for reforms, public investments, and partnerships that catalyze private investment and job creation. We invite regional institutions and partners to support the development of a post-Cotonou Roadmap and an Investment Framework to accompany the implementation of the Declaration. We express our deep gratitude to President Patrice Talon and the Government of Benin for the exceptional quality of their hospitality and organization of the Summit. We commend the World Bank for its unwavering commitment to supporting and financing the digital transformation efforts of the countries of West and Central Africa. Together, we commit to making Cotonou 2025 a turning point in Africa’s digital and AI trajectory. Adopted in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, on 18 November 2025 By the Ministers of Digital Economy of the Member States of West and Central Africa, within the framework of the Regional Digital Transformation Summit of Cotonou.