The Republic of Sudan has become the 32nd African country to join the Smart Africa Alliance by signaling a strong intention to place technology at the center of Sudan’s reconstruction. One of the marks of its return to the international scene after the lifting by the United States in 2017 of the embargo to which it was subject since 1993. The government of Sudan will benefit from the support of Smart Africa, the alliance of African countries committed to accelerate the socio-economic development of the continent through information technology and communications, in achieving its digital ambitions. Several agreements were signed in this sense by members of the Sudanese government and Lacina Kone, the CEO of Smart Africa, during his working visit to the country.
According to Hashem Hassab Al-Rasoul, Sudan's Minister of Communications and Digital Transformation, the Smart Africa Alliance will support the country in the realization of two major projects: smart government and smart agriculture. Also, the alliance has also secured a US$95,000 grant from the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) to fund a feasibility study for the One Africa Network (OAN), the alliance's single telecom network project that is designed to reduce the cost of roaming.
Currently, several African countries are making digital technology a pillar of their diversification and economic recovery. Sudan is not to be outdone, so that the country, which has long focused on oil, is now multiplying its actions to successfully enter the fourth industrial revolution. The Smart Africa Alliance will be of significant help in realizing this goal.
