By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Rwanda has called for
stronger cross-border digital systems across Africa, highlighting the need to
address fragmented digital markets, differing regulations and gaps in
interoperability to accelerate digital transformation and support the
deployment of artificial intelligence at scale.
The issue was discussed on
the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where the Rwandan
delegation participated in the GABI Solutions Lab session, “One Barrier, One
Bet,” focused on how Africa can move from digital transformation ambitions to
practical action.
Discussions highlighted the
fragmentation of Africa’s digital markets, driven by differences in regulatory
frameworks, limited cross-border trust and gaps in interoperability across
data, digital identity and payment systems.
These digital foundations
are increasingly important as African countries seek to deploy AI at scale and
build a more integrated continental digital economy.
Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and
Innovation, Paula Ingabire, shared the country’s experience in developing
trusted and interoperable digital systems during the discussion.
She emphasised the
importance of moving beyond individual country-level solutions towards digital
systems capable of operating across borders and at continental scale.
The discussions at the GABI
Solutions Lab placed interoperability, cross-border trust and coordinated
digital frameworks at the centre of efforts to unlock Africa’s wider digital
transformation potential.
For African countries,
stronger connectivity between digital identity, data and payment systems could
provide foundations for more integrated digital markets and create an
environment capable of supporting emerging technologies, including AI.
