Transforming African Public Sector Leadership: Reflections from the ALU Fellowship in Tallinn, Estonia – 2024

This year, our celebration of Africa Day took a different turn as we deeply immersed ourselves in the Center for a Re-imagined Africa Exchange Program in Tallinn, Estonia. This exchange was a remarkable success, offering our fellows the unique opportunity to learn from the world's leading digital society and to share their innovative projects. These projects, developed over the past year, range from tax reforms to healthcare, CSR initiatives to road safety, and reflect the diverse challenges and opportunities across our 13 African countries. We visited various Estonian institutions, including the e-Estonia Briefing Centre, the ICT Ministry, the ICT Authority, and the Parliament.

Citizen Trust: One of the most striking lessons from Estonia was how the government built trust by involving citizens in the digital transformation journey. This inclusive approach, though more accessible in a society with fewer marginalised communities, is something we must strive to replicate. When we asked Estonians if they trust their government with their data, their responses were overwhelmingly positive. Dr. 'Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, emphasised the critical role of communication in building this trust. Our challenge is to use the skills developed through our Leadership Lab to foster similar trust and change within our governments and communities.

Partnerships: The second annual Africa Business Forum reinforced that Africa is open for business. This forum focused on building pathways to partnerships between Estonian and African enterprises, bringing together entrepreneurs, policymakers, and investors to foster digital transformation across the continent. We had insightful discussions with ICT Cluster leaders from Aktors, BCS Koolitus, Digital Nation, e-Governance Academy, ELMO Remote, Proud Engineers, and Timbeter. Moving forward, our task is to influence the creation of Public-Private Partnerships to build sustainable digital solutions for Africa.

Focus: Our visit to Bolt, one of Estonia’s unicorns, was particularly enlightening. The co-founder, Martin Villig, shared how Johannesburg played a crucial role in their Africa expansion. Yet, it was disheartening to note that South Africa, despite being one of the largest economies on the continent, was not a focus in many of our conversations with different ministries, private sectors, or development organisations. As a proud South African, I highlighted the need to address the complexities that make business in our country challenging.

Conclusions: Africa is undoubtedly open for business. Beyond our mineral wealth, we can build a talent pipeline of digital skills that will enable the continent to thrive. This requires visionary and politically agnostic political leadership, focusing on building trust through inclusive digital services. Both private and public sector leadership must drive innovation and growth within the digital ecosystem.

The future is bright, knowing that our fellows will be among the future generations of public, political, and private sector leaders driving the digital transformation of the African continent. Their dedication, insight, and leadership are the catalysts for Africa's thriving digital future.

Feel free to share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments below. How can we best leverage these insights to drive digital transformation in Africa?

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