By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Sierra Leone will present
its integrated approach to energy and digital infrastructure to Member States,
multilateral partners and financing institutions in New York on September 25,
as the country seeks to draw attention to the infrastructure requirements
underpinning West Africa’s digital economy.
The presentation will take
place during the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81)
at an event titled “Energy to Digital Economy: Sierra Leone's Integrated Model
and the ECOWAS Opportunity.”
The event will be organised
by the Government of Sierra Leone in partnership with Aton Path and the
International Data Center Authority (IDCA).
The country’s Ministry of
Communication, Technology and Innovation said the initiative comes against the
backdrop of the vulnerability of digital infrastructure to disruptions,
highlighting the damage to undersea cables in March 2024 that disrupted internet
services across West Africa.
Sierra Leone relies
significantly on the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) undersea cable, making the
disruption a reminder of the importance of strengthening the energy,
connectivity and skills that support digital infrastructure.
The September 25 engagement
will provide Sierra Leone with an opportunity to present its approach to Member
States, multilateral partners and financing institutions while inviting its
ECOWAS counterparts to consider the model and its broader regional implications.
The government said the
discussion will focus on the relationship between reliable energy
infrastructure and the development of a resilient digital economy, with the
ECOWAS region facing similar requirements as it expands digital connectivity
and services.
