New $137M initiative to enable digital service access for millions in three ECOWAS nations

The second phase of a project dubbed Western Africa Regional Digital Integration Program (WARDIP) aims to support the expansion of digital public infrastructure in Benin, Liberia, and Sierra Leone with the goal of enabling millions of people to get connectivity and access to a wide range of digital services.

WARDIP2, as this new operation is codenamed, aims to bring broadband connectivity to more than five million citizens in these three countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), while over five million more will be able to access digital public services. In total, about 10.6 million people are expected to get access to high-speed internet and easy gateway to digital services.

In a recent announcement, the World Bank, which is the project funder, explained that the initiative is also expected to boost job creation through stronger participation in the digital economies of the concerned countries.

As its three core pillars, the initiative will support participating countries in expanding and improving their digital infrastructure, including boosting the capacity of their data centers, making the business environment more friendly, and making it possible for businesses to grow and easily operate across borders.

While the initiative aims to streamline the delivery of public services, it also intends to support the development of digital skills and make the creation of new digital jobs possible.

The World Bank Digital and AI Regional Practice Director, Michel Rogy, said that the initiative will substantially support West Africa’s economic transformation by enabling the creation of new jobs, and supporting efforts towards a more integrated regional market.

“It addresses one of the region’s most persistent challenges: high-cost and unreliable connectivity that limit competitiveness and people’s access to digital opportunities,” Rogy said.

In her own comments on the initiative, the Acting World Bank Regional Integration Director for Africa, Marina Wes, said “by harmonizing regulations, modernizing digital governance, and improving competition across regional markets, WARDIP2 creates a more predictable and investment-friendly environment.”

“Its support to the West Africa Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), regulatory reforms in participating countries, and measures that lower deployment costs while expanding access to affordable, high‑quality connectivity are critical to deepening regional integration, unlocking private capital, and creating jobs.”

The WARDIP initiative went underway in 2023. It was designed to support the region in driving connectivity as well as efforts towards establishing a common digital market on the continent.

As part of the project, West African nations have been working to put in place a unified legal and regulatory framework to support this ambition.

WARDIP also concerns countries like The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Mauritania, and has collaboration from ECOWAS, the African Union, and Smart Africa.

Article Topics

Africa  |  Benin  |  digital identity  |  digital public infrastructure  |  ECOWAS  |  government services  |  Liberia  |  Sierra Leone  |  World Bank