HUAWEI
The first edition of the Africa Digital Economy Forum, organized by La Tribune Afrique in partnership with Huawei, was held online on Thursday, December 2, 2021. The objective of the event was to put the digital economy at the heart of Africa's challenges, and to lead to concrete actions, both in terms of investments and regulation of the digital sector.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211213005382/en/
His Excellency the President of the Republic of Senegal, Mr. Macky SALL , welcomed the event, which he said is part of the promotion of "the digital economy in Africa around themes such as digital strategy and training, training of talent, network infrastructure and innovation. ”
The event began with two speeches by Delphine CHENE, President of La Tribune Afrique and Catherine CHEN, Vice President and Director of the Board of Directors of Huawei. Stressing the ties that unite Huawei to the African continent, Catherine Chen recalled the Group's ambition in terms of social responsibility: "We assume our social responsibility through major investments throughout the world, and more specifically in Africa. For example, we are positioning ourselves in Senegal by supporting 60 schools, just as we are contributing to the construction of innovative infrastructures in Ethiopia. Thus, on the African continent, Huawei wants to be a development partner, able to accompany the continent in the expression of its full potential.”
This was followed by debates led by prestigious speakers, including Roger ADOM , Minister of Digital Economy, Telecommunications and Innovation of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, Yankhoba DIATTARA , Minister of Digital Economy and Telecommunications of Senegal, Papa Amadou SARR , Minister-Delegate General for Rapid Entrepreneurship of Women and Youth of Senegal, Alpha BARRY President and CEO of Atos Africa, Cristina DUARTE , Special Advisor to the United Nations for Africa, Catherine CHEN , Vice President and Director of the Board of Huawei, Colin HU , President Cloud & AI of Huawei Northern Africa, Mohamed BEN AMOR - Secretary General AICTO, Mohammed Tawfik MOULINE , Director General of the Royal Institute for Strategic Studies, Huria ALI MAHDI , Ethiopian Minister of Technology and Innovation, Lacina KONÉ , Director General of Smart Africa, Élisabeth MEDOU-BADANG , Area Director and Spokesperson for Orange in Africa and the Middle East, Malek KOCHLEF , Director General of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Higher Education of Tunisia, Amane DANNOUNI , Managing Director & Partner in BCG, Professor Mohamed AYMAN ASHOUR , Omar SEGHROUCHNI , President of the CNDP.
The event was marked by the holding of several round tables, keynotes and other structuring speeches, highlighting the main issues of the digital economy, such as the acceleration of the development of digital infrastructure in Africa, the prospects of the digital economy, or the training of talent needed for the digital development of the continent.
Colin HU, President Cloud & AI of Huawei Northern Africa, said , "Digitization is a journey: for the city, it has social value, while for businesses, it has business value. That's why Huawei is committed to promoting it through investments, but also through in-depth studies. Our reports, such as "Intelligent World 2030", can serve as a reference in this area. They are intended to guide or at best inspire public and private organizations in their strategy.”
As part of this path to digitalization, infrastructure is the sine qua none of Africa's digital development and is crucial to accelerate connectivity. Roger ADOM, Minister of Digital Economy, Telecommunications and Innovation of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, said : "Strengthening the digital economy in Africa will require strong inter-state collaboration. Promising and extensive initiatives are already in place, such as Smart Africa. Through this project, states share best practices in a partnership approach. Close collaboration between the public and private sectors is also required to generate sustainable investments and accelerate the continent's development.”
Yankhoba DIATTARA, Minister of Digital Economy and Telecommunications of Senegal recalled that "in Africa, the penetration rate of the Internet is 39.8%, while 30% of the continent's population lives in an area of connectivity without having access to it - mainly because of high costs. This is why we believe that connectivity must be accompanied by affordability. If we win this challenge, Africa can reach 70% connectivity. More than the quality of the infrastructure, the availability of access for all strata of African societies must be taken into account.”
Beyond the essential role of infrastructure, the Africa Digital Economy Forum was also the scene of a deep reflection on the importance of training young talent in the digital sector. In his speech, Papa Amadou SARR, Minister, General Delegate for Rapid Entrepreneurship of Women and Youth of Senegal presented the African continent as "aware of the fact that it is necessary to train its youth, 60% of the total population, in order to meet the growing demands of the labor market, each day more professional. To do this, it is necessary to focus on training policies, while prioritizing the teaching of skills related to new technologies.”
Beyond Senegal, Ethiopia has also given itself the ambition to become a heavyweight in the digital sector in Africa, as underlined by Huaria Ali Mahdi, Minister of Technology and Innovation of Ethiopia : "We want to make Ethiopia the digital center of Africa in the sectors of agriculture, tourism and industry. According to him, "while the digital economy is transforming African societies, each nation has a different context and needs. Thus, each country must have its own strategy to ensure sustainable development.”
As evidenced by this Forum, digitization is becoming increasingly important in Africa, as the continent is increasingly giving itself the means to strengthen its sovereignty. Lacina KONE, Managing Director of Smart Africa , explained that "throughout Africa, a real political will has emerged at the level of heads of state, to seize the train of what is already called the 4th industrial revolution. This is a welcome dynamic: we are convinced that governance within the digital transformation must be at the center of socio-economic development of all African nations. More than ever, decision-making bodies must base their strategies on the digital economy."
To conclude this 1st edition of the Africa Digital Economy Forum, Cristina DUARTE, Special Advisor for Africa at the UN , highlighted the role of the health crisis in the digital transformation in Africa: "The Covid-19 pandemic is an ordeal of opportunity: it has planted the seeds of a new imagination of the African economic structure on a large scale, accelerating trends such as digitization. Change is underway across Africa: the continent must seize the digital transformation underway to access the development it seems promised.”
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211213005382/en/
Social Media:
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
The Coca-Cola Company Names New Leader for Europe Operating Unit18.7.2025 21:00:00 CEST | Press release
The Coca-Cola Company today announced that Luisa Ortega will become president of the Europe operating unit effective Sept. 1, succeeding Nikos Koumettis, who will retire in 2026 after a 25-year career with the company. Koumettis will remain with the company through Feb. 28, 2026, as a senior advisor. He will also serve on the board of directors of Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd., a company-owned bottler in India. Ortega joined Coca-Cola in 2019 and currently serves as president of the Africa operating unit. In this role, she leads a complex business that operates across 54 markets. Koumettis has led the Europe operating unit since it was created in 2021. “Luisa has done an outstanding job leading our African business, where our system has continued to make major investments to serve growing markets on the continent,” said Henrique Braun, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of The Coca-Cola Company. “As head of Europe, she will bring great international experien
NFL Running Back Derrick Henry Joins Amazfit as Athlete Ambassador18.7.2025 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
Henry to utilize Amazfit products to optimize health, recovery and performance as he enters his 10th NFL season Amazfit, a leading global smart wearables brand owned by Zepp Health (NYSE: ZEPP), announced Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry as the newest elite athlete to join its growing roster of ambassadors. Known for his rare combination of speed and strength, Henry will utilize Amazfit wearables to power every phase of his training, recovery and sleep as he prepares for his 10th NFL season. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250718322498/en/ Derrick Henry is the newest elite athlete to join Amazfit's growing roster of ambassadors. As one of the most prolific running backs of his generation, Henry has amassed an impressive array of accolades during his career, including NFL Offensive Player of the Year, two rushing titles, and five Pro Bowl selections. With Amazfit as his official smart wearable partne
Qualcomm Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend18.7.2025 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.89 per common share, payable on September 25, 2025, to stockholders of record at the close of business on September 4, 2025. About Qualcomm Qualcomm relentlessly innovates to deliver intelligent computing everywhere, helping the world tackle some of its most important challenges. Building on our 40 years of technology leadership in creating era-defining breakthroughs, we deliver a broad portfolio of solutions built with our leading-edge AI, high-performance, low-power computing, and unrivaled connectivity. Our Snapdragon® platforms power extraordinary consumer experiences, and our Qualcomm Dragonwing™ products empower businesses and industries to scale to new heights. Together with our ecosystem partners, we enable next-generation digital transformation to enrich lives, improve businesses, and advance societies. At Qualcomm, we are engineering human progress. Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensin
MultiBank Group Confirms $MBG Token Listings on MEXC and Gate.io on TGE Day in Addition to MultiBank.io and Uniswap18.7.2025 14:34:00 CEST | Press release
MultiBank Group, the world’s largest & most regulated financial derivatives institution, is proud to announce that its highly anticipated $MBG Token will be listed on two new major global cryptocurrency exchanges — MEXC and Gate.io — on the day of its official Token Generation Event (TGE), July 22, 2025, in addition to MultiBank.io and Uniswap. The $MBG Token will go live on: MultiBank.ioGate.ioMEXCUniswap This new dual listing will allow millions of users across both exchanges to seamlessly access and trade $MBG using their existing accounts, ensuring immediate market participation at launch. The Token Generation Event (TGE) is now approaching following the successful completion of two pre-sale rounds, where MultiBank Group issued 7 million tokens in Round 1 and 3 million tokens in Round 2 — both of which sold out within minutes. Naser Taher, Chairman and Founder of MultiBank Group said “With $MBG, we’re introducing a utility token built to deliver real-world value, transparency, and
SLB Announces Second-Quarter 2025 Results18.7.2025 12:50:00 CEST | Press release
Revenue of $8.55 billion increased 1% sequentially and decreased 6% year on year GAAP EPS of $0.74 increased 28% sequentially and decreased 4% year on year EPS, excluding charges and credits, of $0.74 increased 3% sequentially and decreased 13% year on year Net income attributable to SLB of $1.01 billion increased 27% sequentially and decreased 9% year on year Adjusted EBITDA of $2.05 billion increased 2% sequentially and decreased 10% year on year Cash flow from operations was $1.14 billion and free cash flow was $622 million Board approved quarterly cash dividend of $0.285 per share SLB (NYSE: SLB) today announced results for the second-quarter 2025. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250716727689/en/ The exterior of the SLB headquarters in Houston, Texas. Second-Quarter Results(Stated in millions, except per share amounts)Three Months EndedChangeJun. 30, 2025Mar. 31, 2025Jun. 30, 2024SequentialYear-on-yearReve
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom