Many African countries are harnessing information and communication technologies (ICT) to drive socio-economic growth, with an emphasis on international collaboration to achieve development goals.
Algeria is actively pursuing bilateral partnerships with other African nations to advance ICT. Sid Ali Zerrouki, Algeria’s Minister of Post and Telecommunications, held separate meetings with counterparts from Tunisia, Mauritania, the Comoros, and the Congo during the third African Startup Conference, which took place in Algeria from December 5 to December 7.
According to a statement from Algeria’s Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, the discussions centered on enhancing cooperation and sharing expertise in key areas such as telecommunications infrastructure, electronic communications regulation, training, data centers, ICT development, and support for technological innovation and entrepreneurship.
This initiative is part of a broader trend in Africa, where many countries are prioritizing digital transformation as a critical element of their socio-economic development strategies, with a strong focus on expanding telecommunications infrastructure and ICT capabilities.
Algeria currently ranks sixth in Africa out of 47 countries assessed for ICT development by the International Telecommunication Union, with a score of 80.9 out of 100. Tunisia ranks eighth (77.2), Mauritania is 21st (55.5), the Comoros are 25th (46.5), and Congo holds the 42nd spot (30.7).
A joint study by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Google projects that Africa’s digital economy will reach a value of at least $712 billion by 2050, representing about 8.5% of the continent’s GDP.
