NAIROBI, Kenya- Today, the East African Community (EAC) and the European Union (EU) officially kicked off the EU-EAC Regional Co-creation Workshop on Digital Transformation in Arusha, Tanzania.
This two-day event marks a pivotal step in shaping the future of East Africa’s digital economy, underscoring the commitment of both parties to a human-centric approach in leveraging technology for regional integration.
The workshop, co-organized by the EAC Secretariat and the EU and supported by the Digital for Development (D4D) Hub, is designed to foster collaboration among key stakeholders from the EAC region.
Participants include representatives from all EAC Partner States, Ministries of ICT, Cybersecurity Agencies, Central Banks, and e-Government bodies, alongside EU member states and their development agencies like GIZ and Expertise France.
This initiative builds on consultations that began in 2022, which gained momentum during the EAC Regional Digital Transformation Conference in October 2023.
At that event, the EAC and EU identified seven strategic focus areas for engagement: connectivity, data governance, e-governance/cybersecurity, e-commerce, ICT regulations, digital innovation, and digital skills.
Together, these priorities are designed to align with the EAC’s broader mission of fast-tracking regional digital integration.
A major highlight of the workshop is the review of progress on digital collaboration and the launch of the appraisal process for a digital economy package tailored to East Africa, known as the Safe Digital Boost for Africa (SDBA) initiative.
This initiative, financed by the EU, aims to implement the EAC’s Digital Transformation Strategy and foster a more connected, secure, and innovative digital market across the region.
In her opening remarks, EAC Deputy Secretary General Annette Ssemuwemba emphasized that digital transformation is about shaping the future of the region.
“This project represents a strategic move towards creating an interoperable regional digital market that will drive innovation, economic growth, and inclusive development,” she noted.
Marc Stalmans, the EU’s Head of Cooperation, highlighted the long-standing partnership between the EU and the EAC, referencing last year’s EU-EAC Regional Conference on Digital Transformation.
He noted that the discussions from that conference laid the foundation for the SDBA initiative including e-governance, e-payments, and cybersecurity.
The workshop also featured in-depth sessions on e-commerce, payments, and cybersecurity, with participants engaging in collaborative discussions on how to streamline efforts and make meaningful progress in these areas.
