The Commission of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) and the West African Development Bank (BOAD) signed a partnership agreement on July 28, 2021 to boost the digital transformation sector. The objective is to jointly conduct programs and projects in the digital economy sector within space.

The ceremony to sign the partnership agreement between the Heads of the two institutions of the Union took place by videoconference in the presence, in particular, of the UEMOA Commissioner in charge of the Digital Economy. It is part of the new joint dynamic between the two institutions in order to guarantee effective management of programs and projects in the digital economy sector within the UEMOA area. The President of the UEMOA Commission, Abdoulaye Diop, stressed that this new partnership testifies to the quality of cooperation and especially to the commitment of BOAD, alongside the Commission, to carry out development projects for the benefit of the populations of the Union. “This partnership agreement for the acceleration of digital transformation in the UEMOA zone is a great way to achieve, as soon as possible, the digitization of public and private services, and thus considerably improve the productivity of businesses and households in the Union”

Through the partnership agreement, the Commission and BOAD agree to structure their cooperation around three main areas, namely, the improvement of the legislative and regulatory framework for the digital economy sector, the development of the regional digital economy infrastructure as well as development digital public services in the UEMOA zone. A total of eight programs and projects have already been selected as part of this future collaboration. The President of BOAD, Serge Ekue recalls that “the UEMOA Commission will coordinate the carrying out of studies relating to Community programmes and projects within the framework of this Convention; and the BOAD will coordinate the mobilization of financing resources and the operational implementation of related programmes and projects”. According to him, this cooperation agreement will accelerate the emergence of the digital economy sector and will amplify the vast digitization movement underway in administrations, businesses and in the community space more generally, where all activities are impacted