We were happy to attend the 2025 Mo Ibrahim Foundation Governance Weekend in Marrakech. The event and its frank discussions focused on “Leveraging Africa’s Resources to Close the Finance Gap” and explored how to unlock domestic resources and attract private capital as Africa shifts away from dependency on external financing.
We had the pleasure of hosting a side event on digital transformation in Africa and explored promising opportunities and collaborative potential between Africa and Europe in digitalisation.
The expert seminar addressed challenges and opportunities in African digital access informed by ETTG’s draft policy briefs on digital transformation gaps and EU-Africa digital partnership. Moderated by Niels Keijzer, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), the event featured insights from R. Melis Baydag on balancing digital coverage with actual utilization, and discussions on AI readiness, scaling solutions, and addressing gender disparities in digital inclusion.
Marianna Lunardini, IAI – Istituto Affari Internazionali led conversations on aligning EU business and development strategies, covering digital financing restructuring for African ownership, infrastructure gaps, and enhancing initiatives like the EU’s Global Gateway and Mattei Plan for transparent, supportive investments.
The discussions highlighted the urgent need to bridge the gap between African digital realities and EU support effectiveness in this critical section.
Thanks to our speakers and participants for their great contributions. Watch for upcoming policy briefs summarising key insights and recommendations from our discussions.
