The African Union Commission (AUC) delegation, led by H.E. Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, H.E. Lerato D. Mataboge, has concluded a series of high-level engagements at the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026. The delegation secured critical political and institutional support for a new model of African infrastructure anchored in sovereignty, bankability, and domestic resource mobilization.
Addressing the High-Level Roundtable on the Continental Fibre Backbone, Commissioner Mataboge articulated a decisive shift in the continent’s digital strategy. She noted that while Africa has made strides in national connectivity, the lack of a unified continental backbone has resulted in a critical market failure where over 80% of Africa’s internet traffic is routed outside the continent. This fragmentation forces African data to travel to Europe and back to reach a neighbouring country, which increases costs and deepens strategic vulnerability.
The Commissioner emphasised that the African Union, through its flagship Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa and complementary continental frameworks including data governance, cybersecurity, and digital public infrastructure initiatives is accelerating efforts to bridge the digital divide and unlock Africa’s digital economy.
These interventions are aimed at strengthening cross-border connectivity, improving affordability and quality of service, enhancing data sovereignty, and enabling seamless regional integration through trusted, secure, and resilient digital networks. This work is central to Africa’s roadmap toward a Digital Single Market by 2030, enabling interoperable systems, harmonised policies, and cross-border digital services that support trade, investment, innovation, and inclusive growth in line with Agenda 2063.
The Commissioner stated that the measure of digital governance is not just by the level of citizen connectivity, but by the depth of citizen inclusion. She cited the example of Wasini Island in Kenya as proof that digital public infrastructure is bridging the gap for remote communities.
The African Union reaffirmed its commitment to accelerating Africa’s digital integration by advancing a portfolio of priority continental connectivity initiatives, including the Trans-Saharan Optic Fibre Broadband Project—a PIDA-PAP II flagship linking Algeria, Niger, Nigeria, and Chad—positioned as a strategic backbone to strengthen cross-border connectivity, reduce external routing, and support the repatriation of Africa’s digital economy.
In parallel sessions addressing the continent’s energy security, the AU delegation challenged the global narrative on energy transition. Highlighting that millions of Africans remain without access to electricity, the Commissioner emphasised the urgent need for baseload power to drive industrialisation.
The delegation presented a stark reality regarding nuclear energy where Africa holds approximately 20% of the world’s identified uranium resources yet accounts for only 0.6% of global nuclear electricity consumption.
"We are moving from being a resource exporter to an energy beneficiary," Commissioner Mataboge remarked during the High-Level Session on Nuclear Energy. The AU confirmed its support for Member States like South Africa, Egypt, and Ghana who are advancing nuclear programmes to stabilise grids and support mineral beneficiation.
To operationalise these commitments, Commissioner Mataboge held targeted bilateral meetings with key political and financial leaders to align continental policy with execution.
In a meeting with Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, South Africa’s Minister of Electricity and Energy, the Commissioner cemented support for the Ten-Year Infrastructure Investment Plan for Cross Border Connectivity (TYIIP). This plan serves as the continent’s master pipeline for cross-border transmission and generation projects. The leaders also advanced the operationalisation of the African Energy Efficiency Facility (AfEEF), a legacy initiative of South Africa’s G20 Presidency designed to mobilise capital for industrial energy efficiency.
Focusing on the role of the private sector, the Commissioner met with Mr Daniel Mminele, Chairperson of Nedbank Group and Chair of the B20 Task Force on Energy Mix. The discussion focused on moving the Just Energy Transition from dialogue to delivery. They agreed on the urgent need to use African financial institutions to de-risk projects and unlock domestic capital, ensuring that the transition strengthens African economic sovereignty rather than increasing debt dependency.
Addressing the Great Funding Gap, the Commissioner called for a strategic pivot in financing. With African institutional investors collectively managing over US$1 trillion, the AU is prioritising the mobilisation of these domestic resources into high-yield African infrastructure assets.
The Commissioner concluded the engagements by inviting global partners to co-invest in this new era of African-led industrialisation. She stated that partnerships must contribute to industrialising the continent so that Africa is not a perpetual consumer of technology but an architect of its own solutions.
For Media Inquiries:
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Ms. Bezayit Eyoel | Information Analyst | Department of Infrastructure and Energy| African Union Commission| E-mail: BezayitE@africanunion.org|
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Mr. Gamal Eldin Ahmed A. Karrar | Senior Communication Officer | Information and Communication Directorate (ICD), African Union Commission | E-mail: GamalK@africanunion.org
