Countries to Benefit From $450m DTA Initiative

Nigeria and other African countries will benefit from the over $450 million in financing throughits Digital Transformation with Africa (DTA) initiative, the United Statesgovernment has revealed.

Recall that theinitiative launched by President Biden at the U.S.-Africa Business Forum inDecember 2022, seeks partnerships with African countries to expand digitalaccess, increase U.S.-Africa commercial relations, support increased digitalliteracy, and strengthen digital enabling environments across the continent inline with the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy and the U.S.Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa.

The United StatesConsul General in Nigeria, Will Stevens, who disclosed this while presenting a keynote at the Global Tech AfricaConference in Lagos, said the initiative emphasises the ‘with’ in DigitalTransformation “with” Africa, and not “for” Africa; because the U.S. governmentbelieves Africa brings tremendous value to the global table.

While announcing thatthe U.S. government had already invested $350 million into digital programmingand intends to invest millions more under this Initiative, Stevens said, theDTA will also facilitate more than $450 million in financing to develop aninclusive and resilient digital ecosystem in Africa; harness the tools andcapabilities of 18 U.S. government departments and agencies; and partner withAfrican governments and a wide variety of other actors – such as the privatesector and civil society – to make these investments transformative.

The consul generalposited that the success of technology in Nigeria will translate into thesuccess of Africa, hence, serious attention is being paid to the country’s techecosystem.

“The United States isinvested in Nigeria’s technological success, and it is no exaggeration to saythat Nigeria’s success is Africa’s success and Africa’s success is the world’ssuccess.

“To realiise thiscontinent’s true potential in technology, we encourage you to leverage theopportunities I shared today, and those tools found under the Prosper Africainitiative, including the Prosper Africa Tech for Trade Alliance, an initiativealso announced in the 2022 U.S.-Africa Business Forum Deal Room, to advancee-commerce and digital,” Stevens advised.

He averred that,Nigeria is reshaping the future of technology in Africa and its youth arechanging the world. “Our Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Joy Basu, whovisited Abuja and Lagos last month to pursue opportunities to expandU.S.-Nigeria commercial and economic relationship, put it best when she said:‘We owe it to the world to unleash Nigeria’s talent in service to solving theworld’s greatest problems,” he added.