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By Steve UMIDHA
To foster effective ICT growth, it is crucial for African countries to speak with a unified voice, aligning priorities and policies to exploit impact and ensure an interconnected approach to digital development.
That was the rallying call by Kenya’s ICT minister during this year’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Regional Development Forum (RDF) for Africa in Nairobi— a crucial platform for shaping a collective digital future for the continent.
Speaking during the forum’s opening ceremony, William Kabogo, the Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, said the continent must also be assertive if it is to compete effectively with other mature markets in its ICT growth ambitions.
“As we prepare for the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) 2025, Africa must speak with one voice—assertive, bold, and united,” said Kobogo, ahead of this year’s WTDC being hosted in Baku, Azerbaijan from November 17 to 28.
The World Telecommunication Development Conference is the biggest single influence on global and national ICT development, with the Nairobi forum seen as a precursor to the conference which seeks to establish new collaborative frameworks, advance digital innovation, and address sustainable development and strategic planning for the telecommunications sector.
Kenya’s ICT sector is valued at US$11.19 billion in 2025. It is projected to reach US$14.92 billion by 2030. This growth has been largely driven by digital technology, cybersecurity, AI, robotics, and healthcare IT.
On the continental level, it is projected that digital transformation could add as much as US$180 billion to Africa’s GDP by 2025, according to the International Finance Corporation and Google’s 2020 report.
Globally, the digital economy is averagely contributing over 15% of global GDP and growing at a rate two and a half times faster than the global GDP average, with Africa claiming its stake in this global opportunity.
“Our participation in ITU Study Groups 1 and 2, as well as in the harmonization of regulatory frameworks within the East African region, exemplifies this commitment,” said David Mugonyi, the Director General at the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) – adding that the Nairobi forum was also the “starting pistol for Africa’s participation at the World Telecommunication Development Conference 2025.”
Kenya in comparison to its continental peers has made tremendous strides in its digital evolution pursuit, with a number of ICT policies in place meant to boost the sector like the recent launch of the National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy (2025-2030).
The strategy is meant to harness AI to drive socio-economic development and position the country as an AI hub, and foster ethical AI development, with a focus on digital infrastructure, data ecosystems, and AI research and innovation.