Niger: government announces projects to accelerate digital transformation
March 12th 2024
The Nigerien government wants to accelerate digital transformation in the country. Several initiatives planned for this purpose by the executive were unveiled by Sidi Mohamed Raliou, Minister of Communication, Posts and the Digital Economy, during a press briefing in Niamey on Friday March 8.
These include the digitalization of public administration; modernizing infrastructure and facilitating access to the Internet; the establishment of an Internet Exchange Point (IXP) and a Virtual Landing Point (VAP); the creation of a National Cybersecurity Center; the establishment of a Technology Monitoring Center; the creation of an international communications management gateway; training and support for young people in the use of ICT; improving sector governance; universal access to quality connectivity at affordable costs for populations.
These initiatives reflect the ambition of the Nigerien government to develop information and communication technologies in order to make digital technology one of the levers of Niger’s socio-economic development. The executive announced in October 2023 that it had engaged in a process of reforms which notably includes the adoption of a new Digital Development Policy 2023-2032, as well as the improvement of the legal and institutional framework of sector.
These government efforts are expected to help expand the adoption of connectivity services in Niger. According to statistics from the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications and Posts (ARCEP), the country had a mobile telephony penetration rate of around 62.1% in the third quarter of 2023. The penetration rate of services Internet was 31%.
Source: Agency EcoFin
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