The World Bank Group has approved a $137 million regional project aimed at strengthening digital connectivity and expanding employment opportunities in Sierra Leone, Benin, and Liberia.
The initiative forms the second phase of the Western Africa Regional Digital Integration Program (WARDIP) and is designed to promote the development of a stronger digital economy by improving broadband infrastructure, encouraging business-friendly policies, and helping enterprises expand across regional markets.
According to the World Bank, the project is expected to connect about 5.2 million people to new or improved broadband internet services, while enabling around 5.4 million additional users to access digital services. The program aims to address the longstanding challenges of high internet costs and unreliable connectivity that have limited digital opportunities and economic competitiveness in parts of West Africa.
Speaking on the initiative, Michel Rogy, the World Bank’s Digital and Artificial Intelligence Regional Practice Director, said the program will help build resilient broadband networks and strengthen international connectivity, which are key to supporting digital jobs and improving public and private sector services.
The project also focuses on developing human capital by supporting digital skills training for about 9,000 people, particularly women and young people. The training will prepare participants for emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and digital entrepreneurship.
Meanwhile, Marina Wes, Acting Regional Integration Director for Africa at the World Bank, noted that the initiative will also support reforms aimed at harmonizing regulations and improving digital governance across participating countries, creating a more predictable environment for private sector investment.
In addition, the program will support entrepreneurship by expanding digital financial services and providing seed funding and market access to small and medium-sized enterprises and startups. More than 140 digital startups, including those led by women, are expected to benefit directly from the initiative.
The WARDIP program was first launched in November 2023 to promote the creation of a unified digital market across West Africa. Its first phase currently supports The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Mauritania.
With the inclusion of Sierra Leone, Benin, and Liberia under the second phase, the initiative now covers seven countries and also involves the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), further strengthening regional integration and digital development across the subregion.
