A few days ago, I had the privilege of attending sessions at the Africa Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF) 2025, and I found myself drawn most deeply to one cross-cutting theme: Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). As someone working at the intersection of digital policy, transformation, and inclusion, I believe DPI represents more than just a technical solution — it is the foundation for digital sovereignty, inclusive governance, and sustainable development in Africa.
DPI: More Than Just Technology
Digital Public Infrastructure refers to the foundational systems that enable essential digital services in a society — such as digital identity, payments, and data exchange platforms. These systems are meant to be open, interoperable, secure, and inclusive. Think of them as the digital roads and bridges needed for citizens to fully participate in the modern economy, governance, and public service delivery.
However, what came out clearly during AfIGF 2025 is that DPI is more than technology. It is about trust, governance, inclusion, and the public good. The conversations reminded us that if we are not intentional, DPI can exclude, surveil, or entrench inequalities instead of solving them.
Securing Digital Sovereignty Through DPI
One of the most thought-provoking sessions I attended was titled “Securing African Sovereignty through Digital Public Infrastructure in the Era of Trade Barriers.” Panelists explored how digital sovereignty — the ability of countries to control their digital destiny — begins with control over infrastructure. They emphasized that Africa must reduce its dependency on foreign platforms and proprietary cloud services.
One panelist put it succinctly: “We cannot claim independence when our data, our identities, and our financial transactions are processed elsewhere.” That line stuck with me. It underscored that true sovereignty is not just political or economic — it’s also digital.
Participatory Policy-Making: Centering the People
If DPI is meant to serve the public good, then the public must have a say in how it is built and governed. Multistakeholder engagement cannot be an afterthought or a checkbox exercise; civil society, technical communities, human rights defenders, and end-users must be at the table from the inception stage.
By centering human dignity and privacy right at the architectural level, African institutions can construct digital public infrastructure that genuinely earns citizen trust and accelerates inclusive economic growth.