{"id":1124,"date":"2025-07-02T04:11:16","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T04:11:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/?p=1124"},"modified":"2025-10-17T08:10:54","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T08:10:54","slug":"our-dream-is-zero-paper-cote-divoires-digital-transformation-chief-on-the-countrys-tech-ambitions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eandelmagazine.com\/eandelmagazine\/our-dream-is-zero-paper-cote-divoires-digital-transformation-chief-on-the-countrys-tech-ambitions\/","title":{"rendered":"C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire\u2019s Digital Transformation is Driving the Nation\u2019s Tech Future: a Dream of Zero Paper Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire is driving one of Africa\u2019s most ambitious digital transformations, aiming for a fully paperless government by 2030.<\/em><\/p>\n

Karen Diallo, Director of Digital Transformation in C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire\u2019s Ministry of Digital Economy, is at the centre of one of West Africa\u2019s most ambitious public sector modernisation programs,\u00a0PARAE\u00a0(Programme d\u2019Appui \u00e0 la R\u00e9forme de l\u2019Administration de l\u2019Etat) project. As the country wraps up its current digital strategy and drafts a new roadmap for 2026\u20132030, Diallo\u2019s team is pushing to unify services, invest in AI, support startups, and\u2014eventually\u2014make paper government processes obsolete.<\/p>\n

TechCabal spoke to Diallo on the sidelines of the Cyber Africa Forum. In this conversation, she discusses\u00a0C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire\u2019s priorities\u00a0around artificial intelligence, the role of local startups in public procurement, and why the country is betting big on connectivity and digital identity infrastructure.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Can you walk us through some of the most transformative pillars of C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire\u2019s digital strategy?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We\u2019re currently closing out the\u00a02021\u20132025 digital strategy, so we\u2019re already drafting the next one for 2026\u20132030. But for this phase, three projects stand out. First is interoperability: we\u2019re building a system that gives citizens unified access to all public services from a single platform. Second is the national digital ID. And third, we\u2019ve launched an access gateway that lets people request any public document or information in one place.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re also investing heavily in AI and digital governance. We released strategies for both earlier this year and are now calling for investment to implement them. And of course, rural connectivity is a major focus, ensuring people outside cities can access digital services.<\/p>\n

Tell us more about C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire\u2019s AI strategy. What\u2019s the framework for it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s built on three pillars: inclusiveness, investment, and governance. Every AI-related project must align with at least one of these. We\u2019ve identified health, education, and agriculture as priority sectors, though we acknowledge that AI will impact everything.<\/p>\n

Right now, we\u2019re working closely with stakeholders in these sectors to define use cases that are both impactful and locally viable, culturally and infrastructurally. We\u2019re also working to establish a national AI agency that will coordinate these efforts.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve mentioned support for startups. What\u2019s C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire doing to strengthen the startup ecosystem?<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is the place to be if you\u2019re a startup in West Africa. The ecosystem is booming. We\u2019ve passed a new startup law to make it easier for early-stage companies to access government contracts. Startups typically don\u2019t meet the eligibility criteria for public tenders, but we\u2019re changing that through what we call a \u201clevelisation\u201d process, essentially granting certified startups access to public markets.<\/p>\n

We also launched a national innovation hub called IvorTech. It\u2019s located in Abidjan\u2019s Plateau district and supported directly by the President\u2019s office. It acts as a resource center, whether you need funding, training, or basic information to launch. There\u2019s also an on-site incubator, though it only started operations recently.<\/p>\n

How else is the government supporting startups financially or otherwise?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Beyond direct funding, our support is structural and visibility-oriented. IvorTech helps startups develop business capabilities, connect with funding opportunities, and access critical networks. We even took 20 Ivorian startups to VivaTech in Paris to spotlight their work globally.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve also created CI20, a coalition of 20 leading local startups – sort of our own unicorn pipeline\u2014to drive sector innovation in fintech, healthtech, and more.<\/p>\n

As someone working on public digital services, how are you approaching modernisation within the government itself?<\/p>\n

My job is to harmonise digital efforts across ministries in C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire. Today, every department has its digital budget and projects, which creates silos and inefficiencies. Our role is to coordinate, prevent duplication, and ensure that funds, talent, and timelines are used effectively. We\u2019re also focused on interoperability and digital identity as foundational layers to enable cross-ministerial data sharing and service delivery.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead to 2030, what\u2019s your long-term vision?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Zero paper. That\u2019s the dream, digitising everything. To get there, we\u2019re building out infrastructure like a national data center, as well as backend systems that allow seamless communication between government departments and digital IDs for citizens. All of this creates the foundation for fully paperless administration.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s one common misconception about C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire\u2019s digital future that you disagree with?<\/strong><\/p>\n

People say we won\u2019t succeed in digitising our public services in C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire because citizens are resistant to change. I don\u2019t agree. It\u2019s not resistance\u2014it\u2019s inertia. People are used to doing things a certain way. But with the right strategy and change management, we can overcome that reluctance. We just need to be patient and inclusive in how we roll things out.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re working across the board, but I\u2019m currently focused on education and health. Those are the two sectors I work most closely with at the moment.<\/p>\n

Anything else you\u2019d like the global tech community to know?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes. We\u2019re inviting investors to come to C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire and help us build the digital future. The opportunities are real, and the ecosystem is ready.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Source: TechCabal\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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