The White House announced a plan to help 80% of Africa have access to the internet, compared to the just 40% that has it today. The initiative was informed and led by Vice President Kamala Harris. This follows Harris' visit to the continent last year and coincides with this week's visit to Washington by Kenyan President William Ruto.
The White House indicated that Joe Biden's government will provide direct investments from the Agency for International Development, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the State Department and the International Development Finance Corporation:
The U.S. Department of State has awarded a $300,000 grant through 2025 to the International Telecommunication Union under the EQUALS Global Partnership for Gender Equality in the Digital Age to help reduce the many barriers faced by women and girls in harnessing the benefits of digital access and transformation, including in Burundi, Libya, and the Dominican Republic
Additionally, private investment will also be added, according to the White House. For example, the African Development Bank Group and Mastercard joined the project in response to the vice president's request.
To this end, they launched the Alliance to Mobilize Access to the Digital Economy (MADE): Africa, which aims to provide digital access to critical services to 100 million people and businesses in Africa over the next 10 years.
It was also learned that the plan's partners will make efforts to improve accessibility by making internet-enabled devices like smartphones and digital technology more affordable throughout Africa.
