Connected Africa Summit 2025: Leaders to Push for Unified ICT Policies to Drive Digital Inclusion Across Africa
The Connected Africa Summit 2025 will put a strong emphasis on policy dialogue and strategic frameworks aimed at advancing Africa’s digital transformation.
This is according to Stanley Kamanguya, CEO of the ICT Authority of Kenya.
Speaking during a media briefing on day one of the event on Monday, Kamanguya said the summit is designed to yield actionable policy outcomes, including recommendations on alternative financing models to fast-track digital infrastructure development.
He said key areas of focus during the summit will include youth empowerment, given that 70 per cent of Africa’s population is under 30 years old, scaling local innovations, harmonizing ICT policies across African nations, and promoting digital inclusivity by addressing the internet access gap.
As Africa races toward digital transformation, fragmented regulatory environments continue to pose a major barrier to cross-border collaboration, innovation, and scale. The discussions at the summit are seen as critical in facilitating regional integration, boosting innovation, and attracting investment.
Delegates are expected to deliberate on the development of a continental digital framework that supports, artificial intelligence, interoperability, cybersecurity standards, and coordinated regulatory approaches.
On Monday, the high-level gathering began with a strong emphasis on follow-through and implementation, particularly of the Nairobi Declaration, which emerged from last year’s summit.
One of the key highlights of the opening day was a keynote presentation by Eng. John Tanui, CBS Principal Secretary, State Department for ICT and Digital Economy. His address, themed “Positioning Kenya as Africa’s Next Hub for Outsourcing IT-Enabled Services (ITES),” explored Kenya’s ambition to become a regional leader in digital services.
The first day also featured robust discussions on the future of work, artificial intelligence, the gig economy, 5G and connectivity, climate tech solutions, and the critical need for digital public infrastructure.
These conversations according to Kamanguya are laying the groundwork for cross-sector collaborations that could redefine Africa’s digital agenda.
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