PSeveral players in the digital transformation in Africa and leaders of local authorities met to address various issues related to the rational urbanization of African cities. Throughout the panels, keynotes and talks of this stage of the DAT, various sub-themes were discussed:
– Digital, a key to strengthening the attractiveness and competitiveness of cities and territories in Africa
– Digital strategy & governance: what trends for African communities?
– Co-constructing the Smart City: from strategic thinking to the funding model: what specificities for Africa?
– Personal and public data, how to restore sovereignty and trust through processing and storage on African soil
– Datacenters, cybersecurity and broadband, role and importance in the digital and economic attractiveness of territories
– Why is waste management a major challenge for Africa?
– The future of African mobility: does digital guarantee the future?
– Renewable energies in Africa: how to build connected territories that respect the environment?
– Connectivity, innovation and digital: for a smart and inclusive city
At the start, the founding president of Cio Mag and initiator of the DAT, Mohamadou Diallo, made a diagnosis: “Today, more than ever, African cities are confronted with environmental issues, waste management, growth population asking questions in many areas such as education, health, employment etc.”
And to continue: “We need new mechanisms, new paradigms to deal with it. Digital and creativity are part of the answer but are not the key to finding solutions to the multiple challenges. By choosing to deal with this theme on the sustainable city and the smart city for this edition, we are aware that there are many efforts to be made to make our cities and our territories more respectful of the environment, more respectful of the human and above all to center its practices around the 7 essential functions of the city which are to feed the city, to build the city, to educate, to equip, to maintain, to govern. »
At the end of the day, Mohamadou Diallo wanted the participants in this DAT to leave with ideas to take advantage of digital and technology, by placing people at the heart of the transformation. The objective is to increase the availability of services, modernize the image of local authorities, develop participatory citizenship, increase the visibility of municipal activities and facilitate the daily lives of residents. Expectations fully met with regard to the richness of the debates, the experiences shared and the solutions proposed on the various themes addressed.
Recall that Cio Mag is organizing on December 15 and 16 in Geneva, Switzerland, the 11th edition of the Assizes of Digital Transformation in Africa (ATDA). It will be held on the triptych: “Trust, sovereignty and digital inclusion” with the support of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the CCIG, the International Trade Center etc.
