Digital BRI Helps Africa To Enhance Technology Infrastructure to Propel Socio-Economic Development
The digital BRI has given concrete expression to the abiding vision of African governments to enhance digital connectivity on the continent. Digital technology infrastructure through the digital BRI can help African countries achieve the goal of universal access, participate in the global digital economy, drive the growth of small and medium enterprises in the digital space, improve productivity and services in various sectors (including agriculture and finance), enhance the provision of health care, disaster management, and logistics, and promote e-commerce.
As for the e-commerce, it is not only helping the African economies to move towards digitalisation, but also increasing consumption in Africa by enabling African manufacturers to tap the Chinese market. It will also allow Chinese consumers to buy African goods at a better price and boost African exports to China, thus helping African countries to increase exports.
Chinese provision of digital infrastructure and solutions such as the Smart City and Safe City initiatives promises bundled solutions to address a wide range of issues from terrorism to crime to e-government gaps. An example is the recently announced Chinese-funded “Smart Burkina” project which consists of the installation of fibre optic network cables to enhance digital connectivity and facilitate e-government as well as the installation of a surveillance system to address security threats and crime amidst a terrorist insurgency in Burkina Faso.
The provision of digital infrastructure will enable African countries to exploit the opportunities that digital technologies provide to enhance economic growth; for many countries, it also represents an opportunity to diversify their economies away from dependence on resources such as oil and gas. A lack of support from other major donors in the development of critical ICT infrastructure in Africa can be said to have opened the door for China’s taking the leading role through the digital BRI in developing such infrastructure on the continent.
BRI and Sustainable Development in Africa
Africa stands as a pivotal player in the BRI, a consequence of its acute need for upgraded infrastructure. Among the 53 African nations maintaining diplomatic ties with China, 52, along with the African Union Commission, have formally endorsed the BRI by signing cooperation memorandums. This alignment highlights the congruence between the BRI and the development objectives articulated in the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
Over the past decade, China’s contributions to Africa have been transformative. More than 20 ports, 6,000 km each of roads and railways, over 80 major power plants, 130 hospitals, and 170 schools have been erected with Chinese assistance.
The challenges involve improving sustainability of cooperation projects. At the 2017 Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, Chinese President Xi Jinping advocated for an ecologically friendly BRI paradigm, emphasising the new vision of green development and a way of life and work that is green, low-carbon, circular and sustainable. This vision aligns with the objectives outlined in the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Between 2021 and 2022, 21 percent of BRI funds allocated in Africa were earmarked for environmental preservation and sustainable development initiatives. In response, governments implemented stringent guidelines to ensure BRI projects adhere to both national and international environmental standards.
Acknowledging the persistent challenges, it is imperative to emphasise the need for increased communication and dialogue between China and African nations. Despite these hurdles, the BRI holds the potential to be a transformative force, significantly propelling infrastructure development and stimulating economic growth across the African continent.