Algeria emboldens DPI push with 50-in-5 campaign membership

Algeria has become the 15^th country in Africa and 33^rd overall to join the 50-in-5 campaign.

This comes as the North African nation looks to strengthen its ambitions toward building an inclusive digital public infrastructure (DPI) ecosystem, the movement announced.

The 50-in-5 campaign was launched in November 2023 with the objective of creating a collaborative atmosphere in which 50 countries of the Global South support each other in building at least one component of DPI in a secure, inclusive, and interoperable manner.

Algeria’s ongoing digital transformation agenda makes its membership of the movement quite vital, as it is in line with the digital development vision of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

The country’s membership in the campaign was announced during the Global Africa Tech Summit which was hosted in Algiers at the end of March. The Ministry of Post and Telecommunications is the representative of the government.

Last year, the country approved a digital ID and trust services framework to set the pace for nationwide digital ID rollout. Algeria also has a digital payments system that is run through the country’s Postal services agency (Algérie Poste) with about 29 million accounts, while a data exchange platform is being built to facilitate information sharing among government ministries and other public institutions.

In an announcement, 50-in-5 said Algeria’s membership will enable the country to engage in “peer learning and collaboration with other member countries, sharing its experience in building inclusive and interoperable DPI while also drawing on global best practices to further strengthen its digital transformation journey.”

“Digital Public Infrastructure is not only about technology, it’s about trust, inclusion, and sovereignty. Guided by the vision of the President of the Republic, Algeria is building foundational digital systems that bring government closer to its citizens, making services more transparent, accessible, and secure for everyone,” Post and Telecommunications Minister, Sid Ali Zerrouki, said as quoted in a government statement.

“Through open standards, interoperability, and strong international partnerships, we are turning policy into platforms and vision into value, connecting Algeria to the heart of Africa’s digital future.”

The government says joining the 50-in-5 will support its ongoing digital skills drive and AI infrastructure development which will be essential in boosting the country’s digital economy growth. Algeria’s DPI push is part of its 2030 national digital transformation strategy which it launched in May last year.

Article Topics

50-in-5  |  Algeria  |  digital ID  |  digital public infrastructure  |  interoperability  |  trust framework