Abu Dhabi, UAE, 7 April 2025 – The AfCFTA Secretariat convened a panel session under the theme “Strategic Investments in Digital Public Infrastructure – Advancing Regional Economic Integration and Cross-Border FDI in Africa” during the ongoing 2025 Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) Congress.

The session explored the opportunities and critical interventions needed to attract greater foreign direct investment (FDI) into Africa’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). Panellists commended the AfCFTA for laying a solid foundation for Africa’s economic transformation, while stressing the need for national digital roadmaps to identify and prioritise bankable, investable projects that can drive meaningful progress.

The discussions underscored the importance of strengthened public-private partnerships and the harmonisation of legal and regulatory frameworks to create an enabling environment for DPI investment and to expand digital connectivity across the continent.

Delivering closing observations, H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, emphasised that the simultaneous implementation of the AfCFTA Protocols on Digital Trade and Investment offers a strategic opportunity for Africa to leapfrog. These Protocols not only foster a unified investment environment but also establish the regulatory architecture necessary for advancing the digital economy.