The World Bank Group’s Board of Directors has approved a $137 million regional initiative aimed at accelerating digital integration and job creation in Benin, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. The project is the second phase of the Western Africa Regional Digital Integration Program and seeks to strengthen the foundations of a dynamic digital economy across the region. It focuses on expanding and upgrading digital infrastructure, improving the business environment, and enabling companies to grow and operate across regional markets.
The program will expand broadband connectivity and improve digital access across the three participating countries. It is expected to connect around 5.2 million people to new or improved broadband services and enable approximately 5.4 million users to benefit from digitally enabled services. By addressing the region’s longstanding challenges of high connectivity costs and unreliable internet access, the initiative aims to improve competitiveness and expand access to digital opportunities for individuals and businesses.
Major investments will be made to expand resilient broadband networks, strengthen international connectivity, and improve data center capacity. These improvements are intended to support the growth of digital services, enhance the delivery of both public and private sector services, and create new employment opportunities in the digital economy. The project will also invest in human capital by supporting digital skills training for about 9,000 people, including women and youth, with a focus on areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and digital entrepreneurship.
In addition, the initiative will support regulatory reforms and strengthen digital governance frameworks to create a more predictable and investment-friendly environment. Efforts to harmonize regulations and promote competition across regional markets are expected to lower infrastructure deployment costs, expand affordable connectivity, and encourage greater private sector investment. The program will also support the West Africa Economic and Monetary Union in advancing regional integration and digital market development.
To further stimulate economic growth, the project will promote digital entrepreneurship and support small and medium enterprises and startups through seed financing, improved market access, and opportunities for cross-border digital trade. More than 140 digital startups, including women-led businesses, are expected to benefit from these initiatives. The project builds on the earlier phase of the Western Africa Regional Digital Integration Program launched in 2023, which expanded internet access and institutional capacity in several West African countries, and now extends the program’s reach to additional countries and regional institutions.
