Côte d’Ivoire is driving considered one of Africa’s most formidable digital transformations, aiming for a totally paperless authorities by 2030.
Karen Diallo, Director of Digital Transformation in Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Digital Economic system, is on the centre of considered one of West Africa’s most formidable public sector modernisation applications, PARAE (Programme d’Appui à la Réforme de l’Administration de l’Etat) venture. Because the nation wraps up its present digital technique and drafts a brand new roadmap for 2026–2030, Diallo’s group is pushing to unify providers, put money into AI, assist startups, and—finally—make paper authorities processes out of date.
TechCabal spoke to Diallo on the sidelines of the Cyber Africa Discussion board. On this dialog, she discusses Côte d’Ivoire’s priorities round synthetic intelligence, the function of native startups in public procurement, and why the nation is betting large on connectivity and digital id infrastructure.
This interview has been edited for readability and size.
Are you able to stroll us via a few of the most transformative pillars of Côte d’Ivoire’s digital technique?
We’re at present closing out the 2021–2025 digital technique, so we’re already drafting the following one for 2026–2030. However for this section, three tasks stand out. First is interoperability: we’re constructing a system that offers residents unified entry to all public providers from a single platform. Second is the nationwide digital ID. And third, we’ve launched an entry gateway that lets folks request any public doc or info in a single place.
We’re additionally investing closely in AI and digital governance. We launched methods for each earlier this yr and are actually calling for funding to implement them. And naturally, rural connectivity is a significant focus, guaranteeing folks outdoors cities can entry digital providers.
Inform us extra about Côte d’Ivoire’s AI technique. What’s the framework for it?
It’s constructed on three pillars: inclusiveness, funding, and governance. Each AI-related venture should align with at the least considered one of these. We’ve recognized well being, schooling, and agriculture as precedence sectors, although we acknowledge that AI will affect every thing.
Proper now, we’re working carefully with stakeholders in these sectors to outline use circumstances which can be each impactful and domestically viable, culturally and infrastructurally. We’re additionally working to determine a nationwide AI company that may coordinate these efforts.
You’ve talked about assist for startups. What’s Côte d’Ivoire doing to strengthen the startup ecosystem?
That is the place to be if you happen to’re a startup in West Africa. The ecosystem is booming. We’ve handed a brand new startup legislation to make it simpler for early-stage firms to entry authorities contracts. Startups sometimes don’t meet the eligibility standards for public tenders, however we’re altering that via what we name a “levelisation” course of, basically granting licensed startups entry to public markets.
We additionally launched a nationwide innovation hub known as IvorTech. It’s positioned in Abidjan’s Plateau district and supported immediately by the President’s workplace. It acts as a useful resource heart, whether or not you want funding, coaching, or primary info to launch. There’s additionally an on-site incubator, although it solely began operations not too long ago.
How else is the federal government supporting startups financially or in any other case?
Past direct funding, our assist is structural and visibility-oriented. IvorTech helps startups develop enterprise capabilities, join with funding alternatives, and entry essential networks. We even took 20 Ivorian startups to VivaTech in Paris to highlight their work globally.
We’ve additionally created CI20, a coalition of 20 main native startups—kind of our personal unicorn pipeline—to drive sector innovation in fintech, healthtech, and extra.
As somebody engaged on public digital providers, how are you approaching modernisation throughout the authorities itself?
My job is to harmonise digital efforts throughout ministries in Côte d’Ivoire. At present, each division has its digital price range and tasks, which creates silos and inefficiencies. Our function is to coordinate, stop duplication, and be certain that funds, expertise, and timelines are used successfully. We’re additionally targeted on interoperability and digital id as foundational layers to allow cross-ministerial knowledge sharing and repair supply.
Looking forward to 2030, what’s your long-term imaginative and prescient?
Zero paper. That’s the dream, digitising every thing. To get there, we’re constructing out infrastructure like a nationwide knowledge heart, in addition to backend methods that enable seamless communication between authorities departments and digital IDs for residents. All of this creates the inspiration for totally paperless administration.
What’s one frequent false impression about Côte d’Ivoire’s digital future that you simply disagree with?
Folks say we received’t reach digitising our public providers in Côte d’Ivoire as a result of residents are resistant to vary. I don’t agree. It’s not resistance—it’s inertia. Persons are used to doing issues a sure means. However with the best technique and alter administration, we are able to overcome that reluctance. We simply have to be affected person and inclusive in how we roll issues out.
We’re working throughout the board, however I’m at present targeted on schooling and well being. These are the 2 sectors I work most carefully with in the meanwhile.
The rest you’d like the worldwide tech group to know?
Sure. We’re inviting buyers to come back to Côte d’Ivoire and assist us construct the digital future. The alternatives are actual, and the ecosystem is prepared.
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