Digital transformation has accelerated across Africa in recent years, driven by Covid-19. Several countries have taken action to avoid missing the next global revolution.
The Ivorian government announced it has taken steps to make the Internet accessible across the territory. Under this plan, the government launched last March 7 in Abidjan the study on the universality of the Internet. The ceremony was presided over by the Minister of Digital Economy, Telecoms and Innovation, Roger Adom (pictured).
This study, initiated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), through the UNESCO Chair, will be conducted with the monitoring of an advisory committee of the digital sector. "After making consensual findings, we will make recommendations to improve the Internet in Côte d'Ivoire," said Professor Alain Kiyindou, Representative of the Unesco Chair. He said an official validation ceremony for the study is planned between May and June 2022 before the results are presented in December 2022 in Addis Ababa at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF).
According to the ICT Regulatory Authority of Côte d'Ivoire (ARTCI), the Internet penetration rate was about 78% in Q3 2021. It is calculated by comparing the number of Internet subscriptions to the total population. ARTCI says this rate may not reflect the true level of Internet access in the country because many individuals in urban areas hold multiple SIM cards, which increases the number of subscriptions. In their Digital Report 2022, We Are Social and Hootsuite estimate Internet penetration in Côte d'Ivoire at 36.3%.
The study on the universality of the Internet in Côte d'Ivoire is financed up to CFA13.250 million ($22.3 million) by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Investment and Development Bank. Its benefits should enable Ivorians to benefit from the $180 billion in revenue that the digital economy is expected to generate in Africa by 2025, according to Google and the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
Muriel Edjo
