The African Union (AU) has commended the conveners of the Forward Africa Leaders Symposium for drawing global attention to Africa’s digital transformation, data sovereignty, and digital identity during the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Held under the theme “Advancing Africa’s Digital Transformation: Inspiring Action, Accelerating Growth, Accelerating Impact,” the event took place at the Nasdaq MarketSite, the commercial marketing hub of the Nasdaq Stock Exchange.
It brought together African leaders and entrepreneurs to deliberate on how digital technologies can boost economic growth and improve public services, with a particular focus on data governance and public–private partnerships. The overarching objective was to ensure that Africa’s digital future is shaped collaboratively and sustainably.
In her address to the gathering, the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Selma Malika Haddadi, commended the leadership of the Forward Africa Leaders Symposium, led by Ms Hannah Awuku, and the African Peer Review Mechanism for successfully convening the dialogue.
She stressed that the world currently stands at the crossroads of Africa’s digital destiny.
Ambassador Malika highlighted the AU’s Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa (2020–2030), which is central to this transition. “By 2030, we aim to establish an African Digital Single Market that improves the lives of our people, accelerates regional integration, and ensures that Africa is not just a consumer of digital technologies but also a creator and innovator in the global digital space,” she noted.
She also identified a critical challenge: the fragmentation of frameworks, policies, and standards across the continent. This fragmentation, she argued, creates barriers rather than bridges, limiting cross-border collaboration and preventing businesses from unlocking the full potential of Africa’s digital market. “The African Union Commission is addressing this challenge by developing a comprehensive foundational architecture that harmonises our continental approach,” she emphasised.
Founder and Executive Director of the Forward Africa Leaders Symposium, Hannah Awuku, officially opened the dialogue with a brief remark. She explained that Forward Africa is more than a symposium; it is a movement dedicated to advancing Africa’s digital ecosystem through strategic partnerships, bold investments, and inclusive innovation.
“Our goal is to mobilise capital, foster cross-border collaborations, and showcase homegrown solutions driving growth from Lagos to Nairobi, Accra to Cape Town,” she stated.
She added that the convening could not have been more timely. “Africa’s digital economy is surging with unprecedented momentum, projected to contribute over 5% to GDP by the end of 2025. With more than 60% of its population under the age of 25 and increasing internet penetration, the continent is poised to leapfrog traditional development challenges through innovations in mobile money, agritech, and healthtech,” she said.
President and Chief Executive Officer of the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), Samaila Zubairu, reinforced the call for Africa to build a vibrant digital economy. “The digital economy is not optional for Africa; it is vital. It is the backbone that will allow our entrepreneurs to innovate, our businesses to compete, and our young people to create the jobs of tomorrow,” he said.
Citing AFC’s investment in the MainOne broadband project, Mr Zubairu explained how the infrastructure now powers financial services, e-commerce, education, and creative industries across the region. Its acquisition by Equinix, one of the world’s leading digital infrastructure companies, he noted, proves that Africa can build world-class assets capable of attracting global capital and creating opportunities at scale.
“Our message tonight is simple: with the right governance and the right capital, Africa can leapfrog into the digital future. The examples of MainOne and Itana show what is possible. The challenge now is to scale them across the continent. If we act with urgency, Africa will not just consume technology, we will produce it, export it, and shape the global value chains of tomorrow,” he declared.
Executive Chairman of the KGL Group and former Board Chair of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Mr Alex Apau Dadey, opened his keynote with a bold challenge: “The question before us is not whether change is possible, but how quickly and inclusively we can harness it. The answer, I believe, lies in the strength of partnerships — genuine, strategic public–private partnerships that unite the innovation, capital, and execution capacity of the private sector with the legitimacy, reach, and enabling authority of governments.”
Drawing on a distinguished career spanning over three decades across continents and key sectors, Mr Dadey reflected on how his experiences in the United Kingdom, over 25 other countries, and in public service as GIPC Board Chair have shaped his vision. Central to this vision is a commitment to multilateral collaboration, diaspora socio-economic inclusion, and leveraging technology to push boundaries for business and society.
Underscoring the vital role of the private sector, he reaffirmed a long-held principle: “I have always maintained that governments do not create wealth, the private sector does. Governments alone cannot drive transformation, but sadly, private enterprises that do are too often treated as afterthoughts in national strategies, relegated to the rear when they should be at the centre of policy deliberations and implementation.”
Chief Executive Officer of the African Peer Review Mechanism, Ambassador Marie-Antoinette Rose-Quatre, drew attention to the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in today’s world. She cited the Albanian government’s symbolic appointment of an AI device named “Diella” as the country’s Digital Minister for Public Procurement earlier this year, noting that “for Africa, this is a powerful reminder that frontier technologies can be used to leapfrog bureaucracies and drive new forms of integrity.”
In the coming days, stakeholders who converged at this year’s Forward Africa Leaders Symposium have committed to working together to implement strategic partnerships for Africa’s digital transformation.
The second edition of the Africa Leaders Symposium, organised in partnership with the African Peer Review Mechanism, was supported by the KGL Foundation, GSMA, ABAN, Africa Business Council, Convene Africa, African Population and Health Research Centre, Baobab Intelligence, and Adeline.