The East African Community (EAC), in collaboration with the European Union (EU), on Thursday began the first EU-EAC regional conference on digital transformation in the East African region, the EAC said in a statement.
The statement issued by the EAC headquarters in Tanzania’s northern city of Arusha said both sides committed and agreed to foster a human-centric digital transformation in East Africa to utilize digital technologies and innovations for regional integration.
The two-day conference, facilitated by the Digital for Development (D4D) Hub, unites key stakeholders from the EAC region and European partners, said the statement.
The D4D Hub serves as an important instrument for the EU and its member states to support transformational projects across the African continent.
This collaborative effort aims to assess the current state of digital transformation in the region and explore opportunities, said the statement.
The statement said the conference identified seven strategic areas of engagement, aligning with the priorities of the 6th EAC Development Strategy, which seeks to expedite digital transformation in East Africa.
According to the statement, these areas include connectivity, data governance, e-governance, cybersecurity, e-commerce, information and communications technology regulation, digital innovation, and digital skills.