The Comoros' digitalization project is expected to cost €22.53 million (approximately $25 million). The African Development Fund, the concessional lending arm of the African Development Bank (AfDB), has granted €4.02 million, while the Transition Support Facility has released €5.49 million.

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) approved a €9.51 million ($10.5 million) funding package for the Comoros on Monday, September 30. These funds will support the implementation of the Comoros Economic Digitalization Support Project.

“The objective of the project is to promote the emergence of a comprehensive and coherent range of digital services that can meet the needs of the population, with the ultimate goal of aligning the country with the information society,” the institution said in a statement.

This initiative comes as digital transformation accelerates across the continent. According to the Measuring Digital Development – ICT Development Index 2024 report, published in July 2024 by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Comoros ranks 25th in Africa with a score of 46.5 out of 100 on the ICT Development Index, below the African average of 50.3.

In terms of the E-Government Development Index (EGDI), the Comoros score significantly trails the African average of 0.4247, according to the E-Government Survey 2024: Accelerating Digital Transformation for Sustainable Development, published in September 2024 by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). The country ranks 45th, with a score of 0.2586 out of 1.

The implementation of this project is expected to help the archipelago develop digital infrastructure, create a favorable regulatory and legal framework, enhance digital education and training, and promote technological innovation and entrepreneurship.

Adoni Conrad Quenum