Connecting Africa: The African Development Bank's Decade-Long Effort to Bridge the Digital Divide

Over the past decade, the African Development Bank has made significant strides in connecting 66.5 million people to basic Information and Communication Technology (ICT) services, focusing on the continent's most remote regions. This achievement is particularly notable given the critical digital divide facing Africa, where only 12 percent of rural areas have access to digital connectivity. The Bank's efforts have been concentrated in various regions, including the Central African Republic, where a significant project has led to a 28-fold increase in internet penetration, creating over 4,000 jobs and driving down the cost of internet data by 67 percent.

Key Takeaways:

• The African Development Bank has connected 66.5 million people to basic ICT services over the past decade, focusing on remote regions with limited access to digital connectivity.
• Major projects, such as the Central African Backbone project, have linked landlocked countries to global networks, providing international digital connectivity to countries like Cameroon, Chad, and the Central African Republic.
• The Bank's strategy has enabled farmers to access real-time market prices and weather forecasts, students to participate in digital education programs, and healthcare workers to provide telemedicine services to isolated communities.
• Rural areas have seen the biggest gains, with internet penetration increasing from 2.2 percent to 30 percent in the Central African Republic, and from 12 percent to 40 percent in other participating countries.
• The Bank's $2.9 billion investment has concentrated on building backbone infrastructure, creating an enabling policy environment, developing digital skills, and supporting technology enterprises.
• Mobile broadband expansion has been particularly transformative, with 89 percent of the continent now covered, and projected mobile subscriptions jumping from 489 million in 2022 to 692 million in 2030, according to GSMA, an industry body.

Statistics:

• 66.5 million people connected to basic ICT services over the past decade.
• Only 12 percent of rural areas have access to digital connectivity.
• 2.2 percent internet penetration in the Central African Republic increased to 30 percent after the Central African Backbone project.
• 4,000 jobs created in the Central African Republic following the project.
• 67 percent reduction in the cost of internet data in the Central African Republic.
• 89 percent of the continent now covered with mobile broadband expansion.
• Projected mobile subscriptions jump from 489 million in 2022 to 692 million in 2030.
• $2.9 billion investment by the African Development Bank over the past decade.

Sources:

• African Development Bank Group