Africa's digital economy is expected to reach a value of $712 billion by 2050, representing 8.5% of the continent's GDP.  This projected growth has spurred digital transformation initiatives across several African nations.

The Guinean Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and the Digital Economy inked two significant agreements with U.S. firms Cisco and Cybastion on March 8 at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington D.C.

The agreements, signed during an official U.S. visit by a ministry delegation, aim to aid Guinea in executing its national digitization and cybersecurity policies and strategies.

The first agreement with Cisco Systems, Inc. addresses the pressing need to bolster skills within the public administration to modernize public services and secure information systems. It includes provisions for training and qualifying citizens in IT and cybersecurity through Cisco’s Networking Academy program. This initiative originated from a process begun in September 2023, with a visit by Youssouf Mohamed Aribot, Managing Director of the Agence Nationale de digitalisation de l’Etat (ANDE), to Cisco’s San Francisco headquarters to solidify a partnership between the American company and the Guinean government.

The second agreement with Cybastion seeks to provide expertise and aid in identifying and mobilizing the necessary financing to implement several state digitization and cybersecurity projects.

These agreements mark a significant advancement for Guinea in reaching its digitization and cybersecurity goals. They follow closely on the heels of a $60 million grant from the World Bank for various digital projects as part of the West African Regional Digital Integration Program (DTfA/WARDIP).

Samira Njoya