Africa is a strategic techno-geopolitical theater

Excerpt from the series "The effects of the war in Ukraine on African countries", by Chris O. Ogunmodede.

Africa is considered the least internet-connected region in the world, despite considerable growth in recent years. But despite this low rate, Africa's vast digitalisation potential, driven by a young and interconnected population that grew up in a globalised world, means that it cannot be underestimated or overlooked as a frontier of digital transformation. In this respect, Africa's immediate priority is not only to connect the continent's population to digital tools and services in an affordable and inclusive way; it is also to put the continent on a trajectory that will allow it to adapt to a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape that has ramifications for technology and the digital economy.

The resurgence of great-power competition between the world's main geopolitical blocs has major consequences for the future of the internet as an interoperable global resource, as well as for the use of cyberspace for civil and military purposes. For example, China's "Digital Silk Road", created within its "Belt and Road" initiative, the United States' "Build Back Better World" initiative, and the European Union's "Global Gateway" all aim to make Africa's digital spaces a frontier of technology geopolitics.

These three frameworks contain commitments to Africa's digital transformation objectives. These initiatives exist alongside the efforts of a range of other actors, notably…