Key sectors in Comesa states to benefit from a network of data centres

The first phase of the Africa Cloud Ecosystem (ACE) project, a ground-breaking initiative to create a reliable network of standard data centres across the African continent, has successfully concluded. Funded by African Development Bank (AfDB) through the NEPAD-IPPF Special Fund, the project aims to provide affordable, reliable, and secure cloud services to critical sectors such as education, healthcare, government, agriculture, and the broader economy.

As part of the first phase, a comprehensive pre-investment study was conducted, analysing the market potential in 11 selected Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) member states.

The selection criteria included ICT capabilities and each country’s potential contribution to the project. The countries evaluated were the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

To disseminate the study’s findings, a two-day high-level meeting commenced in Nairobi, Kenya, on December 2, 2024. This event aims to review and validate the pre-investment study report and determine the host country for the ACE headquarters.

The meeting has drawn participation from Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, and ICT experts representing the 11 nations. Speaking at the opening session, Mohamed Kadah (pictured), Comesa Assistant Secretary General in charge of programmes, emphasised the transformative potential of the ACE project. He described it as a cornerstone for developing a robust Africa-wide cloud ecosystem.

AfDB Task Manager Omar Elmi Samatar highlighted the strategic importance of local data processing, noting that Africa currently accounts for just 1 per cent of the global data market.