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The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the World Bank have launched a landmark US$2.5 billion initiative aimed at accelerating digital access and transformation across the region.
Unveiled on Monday at Ciela Resort in Lusaka, the Inclusive Digitalisation for East and Southern Africa (IDEA)programme seeks to expand internet connectivity and digitally enabled services, targeting 180 million people with internet access and 100 million with digital services over the next eight years.
The IDEA programme is designed to promote inclusive growth and job creation by strengthening digital infrastructure and fostering regional integration.
It uses a Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA) to mobilize resources and encourage collaboration among more than 15 countries, regional economic communities (RECs), and development partners.
Phase one of the initiative includes US$780 million in financing for Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Malawi, alongside a US$10 million grant to the COMESA Secretariat.
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Speaking at the launch, COMESA Secretary-General Chileshe Kapwepwe emphasized the importance of regional collaboration and innovative financing in bridging the digital divide.
“Innovative ways to catalyze private sector investment, enhance policy and regulatory frameworks, support project preparation, and address gender and climate dimensions are all part of the programme’s transformational agenda,” Kapwepwe said.
The programme also aims to harmonize digital policies, improve regulatory environments, and boost private sector participation, while facilitating digital market integration and knowledge-sharing among participating nations.
Currently, just 64 percent of the region’s population is covered by high-speed internet, and fewer than 24 percent are active users.
Isabel Neto, World Bank Practice Manager for Digital Transformation, described IDEA as a bold step toward dismantling key barriers such as high data costs, limited digital skills, and the lack of digital identification—issues affecting up to 40 percent of the population.
“IDEA is about enabling people—entrepreneurs, farmers, women—to use digital tools to improve their lives,” Neto said.
“This is not just a tech program; it’s an inclusive transformation agenda for Africa’s future.”
The initiative also integrates gender and climate resilience, linking digital development to energy access through complementary efforts like the ASCENT energy programme, which aims to deliver clean energy to 100 million people.
Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Technology and Science, Brilliant Maimbo Habeenzu, confirmed that Zambia is expected to formally join the programme soon.
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