By Francis Wilfred
The Permanent Secretary, General Services Office (GSO) in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, has called for stronger collaboration among African countries to develop robust Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) systems capable of driving inclusive governance, economic growth, innovation, and improved public service delivery across the continent.
Dr. Kana made the call on Tuesday in Abuja during a High-Level Continental Engagement themed, “Building African Digital Foundations Together,” organised by Galaxy Backbone Ltd in collaboration with Co-Develop, Smart Africa and MicroSave Consulting.
Addressing government representatives, development partners, digital institutions, and stakeholders from across Africa, Kana described the forum as a strategic platform for shaping the future of Africa’s digital economy and strengthening the foundations needed for sustainable development.
He said Africa’s digital transformation should go beyond merely digitising existing systems, stressing the need for a uniquely African digital future built on collaboration, inclusion, trust, and scalability.
According to him, Digital Public Infrastructure has become a critical pillar for national development and global competitiveness, noting that countries making progress in innovation, financial inclusion, healthcare, education, digital governance, and artificial intelligence are doing so on the strength of resilient digital ecosystems.
He explained that digital identity systems, interoperable payment platforms, trusted data exchange frameworks, and secure digital platforms have become indispensable national assets necessary for economic resilience and effective governance.
Kana commended Galaxy Backbone Ltd, alongside institutions such as National Identity Management Commission and Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System, for supporting Nigeria’s evolving Digital Public Infrastructure ecosystem and advancing the Federal Government’s digital transformation agenda.
He welcomed ongoing efforts to develop a unified African Digital Public Infrastructure roadmap over the next three to five years, saying the framework would help countries identify common priorities, reduce implementation costs, encourage reusable digital solutions, and strengthen local innovation ecosystems.
The permanent secretary also urged African nations to move beyond discussions to practical implementation through pilot projects, shared platforms, and collaborative systems capable of supporting interoperability in areas such as digital identity, payment systems, healthcare, education, trade facilitation, and data governance.
Speaking on emerging technologies, Kana stressed that Africa’s preparedness for Artificial Intelligence would depend heavily on strong digital infrastructure.
“There can be no meaningful Artificial Intelligence ecosystem without strong digital public infrastructure,” he said.
Also speaking, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone Ltd, Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, said the engagement would deepen partnerships among African countries and promote resilient digital ecosystems that can drive economic growth and improve public service delivery.
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