Bridging the Digital Divides

Despite progress in recent years, only 36% of Africa's population had broadband Internet access in 2022. Furthermore, the substantial digital gender gap (35% versus 24% in 2020) and a significant divide in digital skills continues to hamper the continent’s progress towards achieving Internet Universality.

In this context, the 12th African Internet Governance Forum, held in Abuja, Nigeria on 20 September 2023, was organized under the theme, "Revitalizing the Internet Universality ROAM-X Framework for Human-Centric Digital Transformation in Africa".

Dimitri Sanga, Director of UNESCO Office for West Africa, noted the interest by African countries in implementing the Internet Universality Indicators (IUI) ROAM-X assessment, citing that out of the 34 countries currently engaged in the process, 13 are in Africa.

The session united African researchers that have contributed to the ROAM-X assessments in Benin, Burkina Faso, Congo, The Gambia, Kenya, and Niger. The speakers highlighted the opportunity provided by the IUI Framework in centralizing and analyzing relevant Internet-related data that otherwise would be scattered, allowing to build a full picture of national digital landscapes. The researchers also underscored the value of the ROAM-X assessment in finding concrete multistakeholder policy recommendations that can strengthen digital governance in the region. 

The ongoing assessments in Africa have already yielded recommendations that have assisted Member States, such as Niger and Senegal in initiating laws and strategies related to rights and universal access to the Internet.