Conakry: The Regional Project Coordination Committee (RPCC) of the Western Africa Regional Digital Integration Program (WARDIP) convened its inaugural meeting in Conakry, Guinea, marking a significant step in the region’s digital transformation efforts.
According to African Press Organization, WARDIP is a World Bank-funded initiative aimed at enhancing broadband access and fostering the establishment of a unified digital market across West Africa. The first Series of Projects (SOP1) is scheduled from 2024 to 2028 and involves The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, the ECOWAS Commission, the African Union, and Smart Africa.
The RPCC functions as a coordination mechanism within the project, offering strategic guidance and policy insights to ensure that the annual work plans of the respective beneficiaries align with regional and cross-country priorities. The Committee is also tasked with advising on potential synergies across national and regional components to maximize investment impact, conducting annual project progress reviews, and facilitating knowledge sharing between the ECOWAS Commission and implementing countries.
The meeting was attended by representatives from the implementing agencies in the participating countries, the ECOWAS Commission, the World Bank, and officials from the respective Project Implementation Units.
The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the roadmap for sustained collaboration among project implementing partners for knowledge sharing and learning. The implementing countries also pledged to utilize the coordination mechanisms established within the program to support effective follow-up at the national level of outputs and actions adopted during the implementation of regional-level activities.
This successful inaugural meeting sets the stage for coordinated efforts to accelerate the implementation of WARDIP, ensuring that the project fulfills its mandate of increasing broadband access and advancing the integration of digital markets across Western Africa.