- Guinea launched Simandou 2040’s third pillar to boost digital infrastructure
- Focus areas include public service digitalization, connectivity, and tech sovereignty
- Over 12,000 km of fiber deployed; AI, education, and data hosting prioritized
On the sidelines of the Transform Africa Summit (TAS) 2025 in Conakry, the Guinean government launched the third pillar of its Simandou 2040 program on Thursday, November 13. This new phase focuses on strengthening transportation, improving digital connectivity, and broadening access to essential services.
The pillar aims to position digital technologies as a key driver of national competitiveness. The objective extends beyond merely adopting digital tools to building a sovereign technological foundation: reinforced infrastructure, an updated regulatory framework, and redesigned public services intended to support growth, administrative efficiency, and inclusion.
The launch follows a period during which Guinea multiplied structural projects in the digital sector. The country established a Tier III Data Center for local hosting of public data, thereby strengthening its technological autonomy. Furthermore, the national.GN domain name was restored, signaling a commitment to consolidating the country's digital identity. These efforts include the progressive digitalization of the administration, with solutions such as FUGAS for public employee management and TELEMO, the public procurement platform launched on November 12 through collaboration with Rwanda.
In terms of infrastructure, Guinea has significantly expanded its connectivity capacity, deploying over 12,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable across the territory. The country is also investing in digital skills development through the creation of Digital Spaces, training programs, and school inclusion initiatives, including the GIGA project which has already connected more than 500 educational institutions. The design of a national technology park and a recent ecosystem assessment for artificial intelligence, conducted with the UNDP, are contributing to the elaboration of a national AI strategy.
The launch of Simandou 2040’s Third Pillar is expected to mark a new stage in structuring the overall project and developing a cohesive digital ecosystem. By combining infrastructure, modernizing public services, and strengthening skills, the initiative is positioned to reinforce Guinea's technological sovereignty, stimulate economic attractiveness, and prepare its youth for emerging digital careers.
Samira Njoya
- Côte d’Ivoire seeks Algeria’s expertise in postal, telecom, and ICT sectors
- Officials discussed investment ties; no concrete projects announced yet
- Côte d’Ivoire aims to grow digital sector to boost long-term economic output
Côte d’Ivoire wants to draw on Algeria’s experience in the postal, telecoms and ICT sectors, the Algerian government said. The announcement followed a November 13 meeting between Post and Telecommunications Minister Sid Ali Zerrouki and Ivorian Ambassador Alphonse Voho Sahi.
In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the Algerian ministry did not provide specific details on concrete bilateral cooperation projects or the exact areas in which Algeria would share its expertise. However, both parties discussed investment and partnership opportunities between Algerian and Ivorian companies.
The talks come as Côte d’Ivoire expands its digital sector to support economic growth. The World Bank says digital activities could add 6 to 7 percentage points to the country’s growth rate. The sector’s contribution, estimated at 5.5 billion dollars by 2025, could rise to 20 billion dollars by 2050 if investment and reforms continue.
Algeria ranks 116th on the UN’s 2024 E-Government Development Index with a score of 0.5956, above the African average but below the global average. It is also classified in Tier 3 of the International Telecommunication Union’s Global ICT Index. The country scored 86.1 out of 100 on the 2025 ICT Development Index, up from 80.9 in 2024, and placed sixth among 47 African countries, according to Ecofin Agency. In 2023, its 2G, 3G and 4G coverage reached 98.5%, 98.2% and 90.4%. Mobile penetration stood at 93% and internet penetration at 76.9%.
Côte d’Ivoire ranks 124th on the EGDI with a score of 0.5587 and is also listed in Tier 3 of the Global Cybersecurity Index. The ITU highlights the country’s strengths in legislation and institutional organisation but says technical capacity, training and cooperation need improvement. Côte d’Ivoire scored 69.5 on the 2025 ICT Development Index, up from 65.3 a year earlier. In 2023, 2G coverage reached 98.9%, 3G covered 98.3% and 4G reached 93.7%. Mobile penetration was 66.5% and internet penetration 40.7%.
Isaac K. Kassouwi
The Scale32 initiative, run by the Enovation Factory incubator and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Cameroon, has opened applications.
The programme provides both incubation to help entrepreneurs develop their business ideas and an acceleration phase to support early-stage companies in strengthening their business models and scaling up. Entrepreneurs and startups can apply online.
Government officials, development partners and private-sector actors will meet in Cotonou on Nov. 17-18 for a regional summit on digital transformation in West and Central Africa.
Organized by the Beninese government and the World Bank, the event will focus on narrowing the digital divide, building artificial intelligence skills and expanding digital job opportunities. It is expected to end with a “Cotonou Declaration” calling for a more inclusive regional digital market.
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has given digital lending operators in Nigeria until January 5, 2026 to meet new regulatory requirements for digital credit services.
Platforms must submit their applications and follow strict rules on transparency, data protection and ethical debt recovery. The FCCPC said non-compliance could lead to penalties, including suspension of operations and fines.
-
SONABEL launched an online e-recruitment platform to modernize hiring and eliminate manual applications.
-
The tool centralizes the full hiring cycle and aims to boost transparency, efficiency and equal opportunity.
-
The platform raises cybersecurity concerns as public institutions face increasing digital attacks.
Burkina Faso has launched a broad plan to digitize public services. Public institutions continue to deploy digital platforms to simplify and secure administrative procedures.
The National Electricity Company of Burkina Faso (SONABEL) launched a new online e-recruitment platform on Tuesday, November 11, in Ouagadougou as part of its digital transition. The company designed the platform, named E-recrutement, to make hiring more transparent, faster and fairer by modernizing traditional methods and easing access to job offers at the state-owned utility.
The platform, available at recrutements.sonabel.bf, centralizes, automates and secures the entire recruitment cycle, from job posting to candidate selection. It replaces physical submissions and manual processing and offers each candidate a personal account and notifications throughout the application process.
Company officials said the system “saves considerable time, optimizes resource use and increases the visibility of job postings,” enabling SONABEL to attract more qualified profiles.
The initiative forms part of Burkina Faso’s wider digital public-service reform, as institutions seek to modernize operations, strengthen transparency and improve administrative performance. SONABEL had already introduced a platform for processing technical files and an e-counter for administrative procedures. The new recruitment tool expands the company’s portfolio of digital services.
The digital system aims to reinforce fairness and transparency in hiring by offering equal access to opportunities for all candidates. It also intends to streamline procedures by reducing processing times and centralizing data on a single interface.
However, the rollout raises cybersecurity challenges related to personal-data protection and authentication reliability. As cyberattacks against public institutions increase, authorities must secure data and deploy robust control mechanisms to safeguard the integrity of the recruitment process and maintain user trust.
This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
- Burundi validated its first National Data Governance Strategy (SNGD) to regulate data collection, management, sharing and valorisation.
- The strategy includes seven structural pillars, from legal frameworks and infrastructure to personal data protection and innovation.
- The plan aligns with Burundi’s Vision 2040–2060 and follows its 2023 adoption of the IMF’s Enhanced General Data Dissemination System.
Burundi moved to strengthen control over its data ecosystem at a time when data increasingly drives public policy and economic decision-making. The government aims to guarantee the security and valorisation of national data assets.
The country officially validated its first National Data Governance Strategy (SNGD) last week. The UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) co-led the document through its Data Governance in Africa initiative. The strategy seeks to regulate the collection, management, sharing and valorisation of data generated by the state, businesses and citizens.
The strategy rests on seven structural pillars: governance and leadership; legal and regulatory frameworks; data management, access and interoperability; infrastructure and sharing; security and personal data protection; capacity-building and data culture; and the data economy and innovation.
The government committed to developing a legal framework aligned with international standards, modernising digital infrastructures, promoting local skills and treating data as a public good.
Authorities involved more than 60 national institutions from public, private, academic and civil society sectors in the strategy’s design.
The validation of the SNGD aligns with Burundi’s Vision 2040–2060 and with the African Union’s continental data policy.
After adopting the IMF’s Enhanced General Data Dissemination System (EGDDS) in 2023, Burundi reaffirmed its ambition to modernise its information systems and increase the reliability of public statistics.
Officials expect the implementation of the SNGD to make public administration more efficient, improve transparency, and enhance the quality of public policies.
The strategy aims to stimulate digital innovation and job creation in the data sector and to build a sovereign and inclusive data governance model capable of attracting investment and reinforcing Burundi’s digital resilience.
This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
- The Startup Act aims to ease company creation and support youth employment
- The law includes a national fund of funds, a startup label, and fiscal incentives
- It is part of Vision Djibouti 2035 to build a stronger digital economy
Minister Delegate for the Digital Economy and Innovation Mariam Hamadou Ali (photo, right) presented the “Startup Act Djibouti” bill to the National Assembly on Sunday, November 9. The bill aims to make it easier to create technology companies and encourage youth employment. After extensive discussions, it received a favorable opinion and proposed amendments for review in a plenary session.
The “Startup Act Djibouti” includes several measures to support entrepreneurs and attract investors. It introduces the “Djibouti Startup” label to identify and promote young innovative companies, offering fiscal and financial incentives tailored to their needs.
The law also proposes a national fund of funds to strengthen venture capital and make financing more accessible to start-ups, along with a simplified customs window for technology companies. It also includes a “Startup Visa” to attract international talent and a unified digital platform, “Djibouti Startup,” which will serve as a support and monitoring portal for all start-ups in the country.
The bill aligns with Vision Djibouti 2035, which places innovation and digital transformation at the center of national strategy. It comes at a time when start-ups are growing rapidly but still face challenges in support and financing. It reflects the government’s plan to make Djibouti a regional entrepreneurship hub and unlock the creative potential of its youth.
Once adopted, the law will be followed by implementing decrees detailing practical measures, including label allocation, fund management, and visa eligibility requirements. For Minister Mariam Hamadou Ali, this law goes beyond a regulatory framework and represents a strong signal to young entrepreneurs and investors.
- The federal government deploys 1Gov ECM to digitize internal procedures
- The platform enables workflow automation, unified document management, and e-signatures
- The system supports Nigeria’s goal of a paperless government by the end of 2025
The federal government of Nigeria announced on Monday, November 10, the launch of the “1Gov Enterprise Content Management (ECM)” platform to modernize document management and digitize internal processes across the public service. The initiative, led by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and state-owned Galaxy Backbone Limited, aims to make the administration more efficient, transparent, and aligned with national digital sovereignty goals.
According to Didi Esther Walson-Jack (photo, left), Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the rollout marks a decisive turning point for Nigeria’s public administration. She said the move toward a digital platform aligns with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP), which seeks to build a knowledge-based administration driven by data-focused decision-making.
The ECM system supports workflow automation, unified document management, and the adoption of electronic signatures. It replaces physical files with a secure digital environment hosted on the 1Gov Cloud, Nigeria’s sovereign infrastructure. According to official sources, more than 59,000 official email accounts have already been created.
For Galaxy Backbone Limited, the launch of the 1Gov ECM platform brings Nigeria closer to its goal of operating a fully paperless government by the end of 2025. The solution will centralize and secure government documents, automate workflows, and reduce reliance on physical records.
In a country with an online administration development index of 0.4815, ranked 144th out of 193 according to the United Nations, the system represents a major step toward modernizing public services, strengthening transparency, and improving access to digital public services for citizens.
- PortailBac centralizes registrations, online payments, and data for exams
- The platform supports automated processing and real-time, integrated management
- It aligns with Senegal’s New Deal Technologique for a fully digital education system
Senegal is advancing the digitization of its education administration with the launch on November 11 of PortailBac, a digital platform dedicated to the centralized management of the baccalaureate and the Concours général. The tool centralizes registrations, online payments, file tracking, and the production of official statistics.
“PortailBac is not only a technical tool, but a gateway that brings together the actors in the education system around a modernized and secure mission to streamline the procedures linked to the organization of the baccalaureate and the Concours général,” said Abdoul Aziz Diouf, director general of Higher Education at the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation.
Developed by the Office du baccalauréat in partnership with the National Agency for Statistics and Demography (ANSD), PortailBac enables automated registrations, centralized data collection and processing, and a major reduction in human error. The tool, which is interoperable with other public systems such as Campusen, offers integrated, real-time management of applications. Officials say it will help produce reliable statistics essential for planning in the education sector.
This launch is part of the New Deal Technologique, Senegal’s national digital transformation strategy, and continues modernization efforts undertaken in recent years, including the abandonment of USB drives, the digitization of labels, and the electronic archiving of transcripts, introduced as early as 2006.
By strengthening the traceability of procedures and the reliability of data, PortailBac is expected to transform the management of national exams. Beyond administrative simplification, the platform paves the way for more effective education governance built on updated, actionable data. It also marks a key step toward an integrated digital education ecosystem, where institutions, teachers, and students interact through connected and secure tools.
More...
-
Kidolé, founded in 2024 in Lomé, offers a web platform for managing and booking out-of-home (OOH) advertising in Africa.
-
The platform integrates real-time analytics—such as occupancy rates, pricing trends, and site performance—to optimize ad investments.
-
Kidolé aims to digitalize and automate Africa’s fragmented OOH advertising market to boost transparency and efficiency.
Togolese startup Kidolé seeks to become a continental leader in digital out-of-home (OOH) advertising management. The company, based in Lomé, was founded in 2024 by Edem Fiadjoe and Koami Rummenigge Aziabou with the ambition to modernize how outdoor media campaigns are planned and executed across Africa.
The web-based platform offers users a 24/7 interactive map listing available ad spaces—from billboards and posters to building façades. Users can filter options by city, media type, budget, or audience profile. Once selected, advertising spots can be booked and paid for directly online.
Kidolé distinguishes itself by integrating real-time analytics that track occupancy rates, pricing dynamics, and performance indicators. This data-driven approach allows advertisers, agencies, and media operators to optimize campaign spending and improve return on investment.
The platform provides a centralized dashboard where users can plan, track, and analyze campaigns in one place, reducing operational friction in a market still dominated by manual workflows.
Africa’s OOH sector faces long-standing challenges, including manual processes and limited performance measurement tools. Kidolé addresses these gaps by automating and centralizing media management.
By standardizing ad space management and improving inventory visibility, the startup fosters new synergies between physical and digital media. Future updates could include IoT-enabled signage, multi-channel campaign integration, and audience sensors to further enhance campaign insights.
However, maintaining data reliability and service quality while scaling its geographical coverage and inventory base will be among Kidolé’s key operational challenges.
This article was initially published in French by Adoni Conrad Quenum
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
-
Badger Analytics, founded in March 2025, uses satellite and drone imagery to create color-coded crop health maps.
-
The platform helps farmers identify high- and low-performance areas to guide precise interventions.
-
Khanya Nyawo also heads Premier Agric, a consultancy promoting productivity and sustainable farming practices.
South African tech entrepreneur Khanya Nyawo is leveraging visual data analytics to make crop management simpler and more efficient. As the founder of Badger Analytics, he has developed a digital platform that helps farmers monitor and understand crop health through imagery-based data.
Founded in March 2025, Badger Analytics automatically collects data from satellite and drone images. The system cleans and processes this data to generate color-coded crop health maps, enabling farmers to quickly spot areas performing well and those needing intervention.
The results are displayed on an interactive dashboard designed for on-field use. Farmers can view the condition of their plots at a glance and convert complex datasets into practical, daily insights—without requiring technical expertise.
The platform targets commercial and smallholder farms that want to track crop health across seasons and optimize interventions based on measurable indicators. It caters to both producers seeking a comprehensive overview and managers aiming for data-driven decision-making.
Alongside Badger Analytics, Nyawo serves as managing director of Premier Agric, an agribusiness consultancy offering support in crop management, product development, training, and agricultural insurance. The firm focuses on boosting productivity, reducing costs, and promoting sustainable practices across Africa’s farming ecosystem.
Before this, Nyawo led Khathom Agriculture between 2016 and 2020, a company dedicated to agricultural advisory services and farmer empowerment in Southern Africa.
A graduate of Cedara College of Agriculture in South Africa (class of 2013), Nyawo has built his career around integrating technology and agronomy to empower African farmers through innovation and accessibility.
This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
-
AgriLogiq, founded in 2020, develops predictive automation systems for greenhouse and tunnel farming.
-
The company integrates climate, irrigation, and fertilization controls driven by real-time data analytics.
-
Joel van der Schyff combines engineering and technology to enhance resource efficiency and crop yields.
South African entrepreneur Joel van der Schyff is transforming how producers manage greenhouse crops by placing data at the core of agricultural operations. As co-founder, CEO, and head of growth at AgriLogiq, he merges engineering expertise with technological innovation to optimize controlled-environment farming.
Founded in 2020, AgriLogiq designs predictive automation systems for greenhouses and tunnels. These systems help farmers boost yields while optimizing water, energy, and input use.
AgriLogiq’s integrated solutions combine climate, irrigation, and fertilization controls, all powered by data analysis to adjust growing conditions in real time. The company connects farmers to their operations via a comprehensive digital platform that links sensors, hardware, and automation software.
By collecting, processing, and interpreting data, AgriLogiq enables growers to improve precision and efficiency in every stage of protected cultivation.
Before founding AgriLogiq, van der Schyff co-founded Machman in 2011, a firm that provided manufacturing improvement solutions for the agro-processing sector. He served as sales and finance director until 2017.
He later joined LLB Innovative Foods in 2019 as operations director, and became project and third-party distribution manager in 2020. Between 2021 and 2024, he was also a shareholder at TS Tec, a provider of IT security and support services.
Van der Schyff earned a mechanical and electrical engineering diploma from Northlink College in 2011 and an MBA in operations management from the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business in 2018.
Through AgriLogiq, he aims to make data-driven agriculture accessible to a wider range of producers in Africa, helping them balance productivity, sustainability, and profitability in a changing climate.
This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
-
Juicyway enables users to send, receive, and hold multiple foreign currencies on one platform.
-
The fintech claims over $1 billion in transaction volume and more than 12,000 business clients.
-
It integrates fiat and stablecoin infrastructure to simplify cross-border payments.
Juicyway, a Nigeria-based fintech startup, aims to establish itself as a leading payment platform by enabling individuals and businesses to send, receive, and store foreign currencies through a single interface.
Founded in 2021 by Ife Johnson, Justin Ziegler, and Idris Ibrahim, Juicyway addresses common constraints across African markets, including limited access to U.S. dollar liquidity, unfavorable exchange rates, and lengthy international payment delays.
The platform offers a mobile app available on iOS and Android, which has already surpassed 10,000 downloads, according to Play Store data.
Juicyway allows users to open multi-currency accounts—including the naira, U.S. dollar, Canadian dollar, British pound, and euro—as well as cryptocurrency wallets. Customers can receive international payments directly into their own U.S. or Canadian dollar accounts, simplifying invoicing for overseas transactions.
The app also supports sending funds and converting currencies at competitive rates within the same ecosystem.
“We identified a clear gap for a B2B-focused payment and exchange platform capable of offering U.S. dollar accounts in company names for international receivables, providing competitive FX conversions through regulated liquidity providers, and enabling instant settlements via stablecoins and fiat rails,” said Ife Johnson in an interview with Disrupt Africa.
Juicyway differentiates itself through the integration of payment, foreign exchange, and stablecoin infrastructures, designed to streamline international settlements.
The company claims to have processed over $1 billion in transaction volume and serves a growing client base exceeding 12,000 enterprises.
With its unified approach to currency management and international transactions, Juicyway positions itself as a single gateway for cross-border payments, foreign currency reception, and multi-currency account management.
The startup’s expansion underscores Africa’s accelerating shift toward digital finance solutions and its increasing reliance on fintech innovation to overcome currency and liquidity challenges.
This article was initially published in French by Adoni Conrad Quenum
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum