By Davida Spaine-Solomon
Freetown, 15th May, 2026 – The Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation, Salima Bah, has called for urgent regional cooperation, digital market integration and investment in human capital as West Africa accelerates its digital transformation agenda.
Delivering the keynote address at the ongoing West Africa Internet Governance Forum (WAIGF) 2026 at the Miatta Conference Centre, she said the region must move beyond policy discussions and focus on concrete actions that unlock economic value from the internet and digital technologies. The forum held under the theme: “Digital Sovereignty and Economic Value in West Africa’s Integrated Digital Market.” The forum brought together policymakers, regulators, private sector actors, development partners and youth representatives across ECOWAS to deliberate on the future of digital governance in the region.
Minister Salima Bah stressed that West Africa must begin to fully leverage the internet as a driver of economic growth, noting that the global digital economy contributes trillions of dollars while Africa’s share continues to grow but remains underdeveloped.
Bah argued that, unlike extractive industries, such as mining, the digital economy is powered by human creativity and innovation — resources she described as “inexhaustible.”
“Our greatest resource is not beneath the ground, but in our minds and our creativity,” she said, adding that sustained investment in education, skills development and human capital is critical to unlocking the region’s digital potential.
Salima Bah called for regional integration and a single digital market. She emphasized the need for stronger regional digital integration, warning that no West African country can achieve meaningful transformation in isolation.
She urged policymakers to prioritize harmonised frameworks that support cross-border digital services, seamless transactions and a functional single digital market across ECOWAS.
Citing global examples, she noted that regional blocs such as the European Union have demonstrated how integration allows both large and small economies to benefit collectively from shared digital and economic systems.
The Minister also called for a shift in investment priorities toward regional digital infrastructure, including data centres, artificial intelligence capacity and emerging technologies.
She warned that Africa risks falling further behind in AI development unless the region invests collectively in computing infrastructure and participates in the design of global technologies rather than remaining passive consumers.
“We must not only use technology; we must help design it,” she said.
Addressing regulators and policymakers, she said internet governance must be viewed not only as a mechanism for safety and control, but as a tool to enable innovation, investment and economic opportunity.
She also called on global technology platforms to improve content moderation in African languages, increase transparency, and expand monetisation opportunities for African creators.
The Minister noted that despite growing digital participation across the continent, many African content creators remain excluded from global monetisation systems.
While highlighting the benefits of social media and digital platforms in enabling communication, commerce and civic engagement, she warned of emerging risks, including misinformation, deepfakes and the spread of unverified content.
She stressed the need for responsible use of artificial intelligence and stronger safeguards to protect vulnerable communities from harmful digital content.
Reaffirming Sierra Leone’s commitment to regional leadership, she said the country remains ready to work with ECOWAS’s partners to advance digital transformation and integration.
Salima Bah urged stakeholders to embrace collaboration, stating that West Africa’s future depends on shared progress.
“We must go together if we want to go far,” she said, calling for sustained cooperation across governments, the private sector and development partners.
She thanked delegates, partners, organisers and service providers for their role in making WAIGF 2026 a success.
