Interoperable digital ecosystems next frontier of Africa’s digital transformation

Sierra Leone’s Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation, Salima Monorma Bah, says African countries must move beyond isolated national digital public infrastructure (DPI) projects toward interoperable regional digital ecosystems if the continent is to compete in the global digital economy.

Bah argued that real value will emerge when countries build interoperable digital ecosystems capable of supporting regional trade, financial integration, cross-border mobility and economic participation at a continental scale.

“In this emerging reality, digital public infrastructure is no longer simply administrative infrastructure; it is economic infrastructure,” Bah said.

Bah shared her thoughts through a keynote delivered in Abidjan during the recent ID4Africa 2026 Annual General Meeting. Her remarks reflected a broader ID4Africa theme focused on moving from standalone DPI projects toward interoperable digital public ecosystems.

Africa’s next digital transformation frontier

“In many respects, this is the next frontier of Africa’s digital transformation. Fundamentally, this is a governance challenge involving institutional coordination, interoperability, legal alignment, digital trust and regional policy coherence,” Bah stated.

According to the minister, the continent has gone past the stage of asking whether countries can build those systems, but rather how to build them, structure governance and technical architecture more effectively and connect systems across government.

Bah argued that digital transformation cannot be treated as a technology issue alone, but as a national governance and development priority affecting public administration, finance, healthcare, education, agriculture and national security. In her country, Sierra Leone, Bah said this awareness is clear. “Technology and digital transformation have been identified as one of the government’s ‘Big Five’ game-changers in the national development plan. This ensures that digital transformation is not treated as a narrow IT program, but is viewed as a strategic national infrastructure critical to economic modernization, data effectiveness, and public sector efficiency,” she mentioned. Sierra Leone is building and expanding its national ID system which the government considers the main pillar of its digital transformation.

“The evolution of this mandate matters because the digital economy cannot be built through fragmented institutional borders. It requires a whole-of-government approach and frameworks. Increasingly, ICT ministries and digital authorities are tackling questions of national digital infrastructure alongside our finance ministries, regulators, identity authorities, cybersecurity institutions, and other sector ministries. But infrastructure alone is not sufficient,” she added.

Bah mentioned that Sierra Leone’s president, Julius Maada Bio, who is the current chair of the heads of state and government of West African regional bloc ECOWAS, is advancing the regional integration agenda through “a renewed emphasis on strengthening regional economic integration, competitiveness, and investment cooperation, with growing recognition that digital transformation must become a central pillar of that agenda.”

Integrated DPI and the digital economy

Bah argued that regional DPI governance frameworks are also critical to expanding participation in the digital economy.

“Effective governance frameworks create the conditions for inclusion, innovation, investment, and economic scale. For Africa, the scale of this opportunity is extraordinary. By 2050, Africa will be home to the world’s largest youth population. This demographic shift will have profound implications not only for Africa, but for the future of the global economy,” the minister stated.

“A future African entrepreneur may establish a business in one country, receive payment from another, employ talent across borders, and access customers continent-wide through digital platforms.”

Bah emphasized that if Africa is to fully realize the economic opportunity of the digital age, then the next phase of its digital transformation must move past isolated digital governments toward digital economic integration.

“The long-term value of Africa’s digital economy will depend not only on the strength of national digital systems, but on how effectively those systems operate across borders. We cannot fully realise the ambitions of the African Continental Free Trade Area through disconnected national digital ecosystems operating in isolation,” she asserted.

“The future African economy will increasingly depend on interconnected digital identities, cross-border transactions, regional payment ecosystems, harmonized digital regulations, and coordinated frameworks. This means that interoperability must now become a strategic continental priority.”

In an interview with Biometric Update last December, two experts discussed the role of interoperable DPI in driving Africa’s digital trade ambitions.

Governance and public trust essential

According to the ICT minister, governments must also make the trust factor a key consideration when implementing those digital public infrastructure systems.

“As digital systems become more deeply embedded into the functioning of society, the economy, governance, law, and public trust become central to sustainability. Citizens must trust that their identity is protected, their data is secure, systems are accountable, and institutions operate in a transparent and responsible way,” Bah opined.

“This is why legislation, cybersecurity governance, regulatory clarity, and institutional accountability are no longer peripheral policy considerations; they are foundational to inclusive and sustainable digital transformation.”

“The transition from digital public infrastructure to digital public ecosystems requires us to think beyond isolated systems, individual platforms, and national boundaries. It requires us to build governance frameworks capable of connecting digital infrastructure into trusted ecosystems that support inclusion, resilience, regional integration, and economic transformation.”

Article Topics

Africa  |  cross-border data sharing  |  digital economy  |  digital public infrastructure  |  ID4Africa  |  ID4Africa 2026  |  Sierra Leone