LOC Begins Mobilisation for Africa Digital Economy Summit in Brazil

Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja

The Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the forthcoming Africa Digital Economy Summit (AFRIDES) said on Tuesday that the event would provide a fertile ground for a broad spectrum of stakeholders. These included heads of governments and policymakers, among others, who would synergise towards maximising the potential and sustainability of Africa’s vital digital economy infrastructure.

Head, LOC of AFRDES in Nigeria and Co-Chair, G20/T20 Africa Digital Economy Summit, Kelvin Jiraji, made the assertion while briefing journalists in Abuja.

Jiraji said the summit would also help in developing and strengthening existing and new opportunities for networking, promote industry awareness and advocacy, as well as provide support for public and private sector national and sub-national digital economy and transformation interventions.

Jiraji highlighted the huge benefits Nigeria and other African countries stood to gain from the global digital economy ecosystem at the summit scheduled to hold in Sao Paulo, Brazil, between October 27 and 31.

He disclosed that AFRIDES, a side event of G20, was a strategic vision of the Group of 20 industrialised nations, which recognised the importance of inclusive digital transformation on national and sub-national economies.

According to Jiraji, the theme of the summit is “Digital Transformation for Sustainable Growth: Africa’s Path to a Connected Future.”

He said, “It is important to state from the onset that the Africa Digital Economy Summit (AFRIDES) is a strategic vision of the Group of 20 Industrialised Nations (G20). The G20 recognises the significance of inclusive digital transformation on national and sub-national economies as catalysts for economic growth.

“It also appreciates the imperative of deepening synergy with critical stakeholders worldwide to advance and enhance inclusive digital transformation. That is why it has institutionalised this side event, as a critical corollary of its agenda.

“You will note that the G20 hold their annual summit each year on a rotational basis. The 2023 edition held in Japan. This year’s edition is holding in Brazil from 18th to 19th November 2024 on the theme: “Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet”. The 2025 summit will hold in South Africa.”

Jiraji stated that the forthcoming summit in Brazil aligned with Africa’s institutional framework for achieving its Digital Economy Policy and Strategy and its implementation of the e-Government Master Plan.

He explained that the event was also particularly strategic for Africa’s e-governance and its ecosystem, as digital economy resilience was the engine room for the implementation and articulation of economic and business policies and programmes, both in the public and private domains.

It also served as the catalyst for building efficiencies and capabilities to deliver on critical aspects of economic transformation, development and national re-engineering, Jiraji stated.

According to him, the choice of sub-themes and topics, and the quality of resource persons invited to impact delivery reflected the seriousness attached to the summit.

Jiraji said, “Top level FinTech entrepreneurs, digital economy policymakers and regulators, and other strategic professionals are mobilised to critically add value to the digital economy discourse in Africa and beyond.

“It is our strong expectations that four-day summit will also open up viable opportunities for the regeneration of the numerous economic and other viable investment opportunities that shall create wealth, provide job opportunities and stimulate development in Africa.

“The resolutions from this summit shall no doubt inject fresh ideas and initiatives into the policy planning architecture to reinforce a systemised and collective framework in actualising digital economy priority objectives.”

Other members of the LOC are Festus Nyiwon, Ms. Juliana James, Dr. Alfred Chiakor (Executive Director, Ashcraft Centre for Social Science Research), and Tom Chiahemen (Principal Consultant, Cattigan Communications Limited).