DRC plans $1.5 billion budget for its National Digital and AI Plan 2026-2030
October 13th 2025
Since 2019, the DRC has been implementing a roadmap to structure its digital ecosystem. The country has just embarked on a new phase to consolidate its achievements in this area and strengthen its position in the African digital economy.
Congolese Minister of the Digital Economy Augustin Kibassa Maliba, launched the drafting of the National Digital Plan 2026-2030 (PNN2) and the first National Artificial Intelligence Strategy on Wednesday, October 8. These documents aim to propel the Democratic Republic of Congo to the status of a regional digital hub by 2030.
” It’s about capturing the dividends of digital technology and positioning our country, rich in critical minerals essential to the digital and energy transitions, as a catalyst for investment and a provider of solutions to the major challenges of our time, ” he explained.
The new plan is based on four pillars: infrastructure development and connectivity, the establishment of digital public platforms and services, the development of human capital and digital inclusion, as well as cybersecurity and digital trust. It will also integrate five cross-cutting axes, including digital entrepreneurship, innovation, technological sovereignty, AI, and strategic partnerships.
To support this roadmap, the government plans a public investment of USD 1 billion over five years, to which will be added USD 500 million in external support already secured by international partners. A Congolese Academy of Artificial Intelligence will also be created as part of the AI Strategy to train young talent, encourage applied research, and stimulate local innovation.
The initiative is a continuation of the “Horizon 2025 National Digital Plan” launched in 2019, the completion rate of which is estimated at around 60% by the Ministry of the Digital Economy. This first plan has enabled the DRC to lay important foundations, including the improvement of connectivity through national fiber optics and regional projects (CAB5), the introduction of the first e-government services such as the online tax portal, the modernization of the customs system (one-stop shop), the gradual digitization of civil status and the ongoing implementation of a digital identification system.
With the PNN2, Kinshasa intends to consolidate these achievements to accelerate the country’s digital transformation. According to a GSMA report presented in September, digital technology could contribute approximately USD 4.1 billion to the Congolese economy by 2029, provided massive investment is made in key sectors such as industry and agriculture. According to the same source, the adoption of digital technologies could increase the added value of agricultural resources, improve education and health, facilitate access to global value chains, and strengthen the transparency of public governance.
Through this new strategy, the DRC hopes not only to strengthen its technological ecosystem, but also to create thousands of skilled jobs and attract more investment in digitally intensive sectors.
Source: Agence Ecofin
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