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In the middle, the then EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Utriainen, during a Global Gateway Forum 2023 together with (from right) board member of Africa Finance Corporation, Angolan Minister of Economic Coordination, Congolese Deputy for Transport and Communications, Zambian Minister of Finance and National planning, US Special Presidential Coordinator for Global Infrastructure and Energy Security and finally Vice Chairman of the Development Bank Group. Image: Nicolas Landemard/Wikimedia Commons.

Interview

The EU and the African Union's digital infrastructure – a tool for local development?

In an interview with Utvecklingsmagasinet tells Chloe The tee van, expert on the think tank European Center for Development Policy Manageement (ECDPM), om digital infrastructure as a tool for local societysdevelopment and reflects on how well these initiatives succeed to respond to civil society needs in the African partner countries.

Development magazine has met Chloe Teevan at the European Center for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) think tank. The expert believes that there is still uncertainty as to whether the EU, with the Global Gateway as an instrument, will be able to develop meaningful partnerships with the ability to support local industries in the partner countries.  

- The EU as an organization moves forward very slowly. We haven't seen any meaningful partnerships yet, says Teevan.  

ECDPM is an independent think tank whose main financier is the Netherlands but who also receives money from Sweden. They work to develop policies that will promote inclusive and sustainable development in Europe and Africa. Chloe Teevan is head of the promotion department digital collaborations and inclusive economic development.  

An ongoing Global Gateway initiative, Data Governance in Africa, focuses on accelerating digital development in twelve different countries in Africa. The aim is to support the African Union in developing data infrastructure and to create a common digital infrastructure among countries in Africa but also new fiber optic cables to other continents.  

The initiative has a specific focus on the development of data centers, cable systems and fast data transfers, as well as teaching digital skills.  

- These projects can, for example, lead to knowledge building and job creation. But also to a more inclusive political governance, Teevan explains  

Digital infrastructure and digital tools can give citizens easier access to processes within citizen participation and thereby promote dialogue between social actors, such as the state and citizens.   

Ships installing fiber cable on the seabed. Global Gateway aims to install an underwater cable system outside the Mauritanian capital of Nouakchott. The idea is also to build a regional fiber cable system through the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique. Image: FactoryTH/Canva

- Digital development projects can also help support research, Teevan explains.  

Today, many of the technologies and AI solutions used in research are developed in the Global North and sometimes African data is used without explicit permission, she points out.  

By supporting African data ecosystems, the initiative can promote innovation and local political governance, which in turn can strengthen opportunities to develop own, more adapted solutions in areas such as health, agriculture and education, the expert explains. 

Whose local development?  

The answer is split when I ask if local actors are involved and implementing projects within the Global Gateway. It is different from project to project, but overall it seems that collaborations are based on expertise and knowledge from local actors, explains Teevan.  

The EU highlights the Global Gateway as an initiative that responds to the demand of many African countries. But of course this does not have to mean that it corresponds to the needs that civil society has raised, she says.  

- In general, the projects seem to be adapted to requirements that political leaders in the partner countries have set. The projects do not necessarily take into account a broader interest strategy with more actors, says Teevan. 

When asked if the Global Gateway creates growth and job opportunities for local actors, Teevan answers.  

- The idea is that the initiative should contribute to this, but at the moment far too few projects have been implemented, which makes it difficult to evaluate its real effects.   

She explains that the EU needs to have clearer governance and more coherent guidelines in order for the various projects to develop uniformly and to be able to achieve the various goals of the project.

At the same time, some countries are not the easiest countries to work in, which creates difficulties for the EU to attract private investors. For now, the EU therefore concentrates on partnerships with countries such as Kenya and Nigeria, which have more influence over other African countries, she says.     

- The big question for many African countries regarding the projects within the Global Gateway is whether it will lead to another era of extractivism or whether it can promote sustainable industrial local development, explains Teevan.  

The focus on Europe's own interests has become increasingly stronger over a longer period of time, she says. But she does not believe that the newly appointed EU Commission will lead to changes in the EU's foreign policy that affect the Global Gateway. It has to do with the fact that current budget frameworks limit such a change, the expert believes.  

It remains to be seen whether the EU's Global Gateway will be able to contribute to sustainable growth and local development in African countries. The question is whether the EU can live up to its promise of partnership that benefits both society and the economy in the regions where current and future projects will be implemented. An important factor going forward will be how well The EU will be able to balance European interests and private investment with the real needs of civil society and the population of the African countries.  

Are you curious to learn more about Global Gateway? Then you can also read Markus Hietanen's analysis about the launch of the initiative. 

About the EU initiative Global Gateway.

Global Gateway is described by the EU as an alternative strategy to solve the world's urgent problems. The initiative was launched in 2021 and aims to strengthen infrastructure and sustainable development by mobilizing investments within the EU and its member states until 2027. The initiative focuses in particular on areas in digitalisation, climate and energy, transport, health and education.

The overall goal of promoting sustainable and inclusive solutions in line with EU values. Hence, the strategy emphasizes partnership with respect for human rights and an aspiration that the investments benefit both local communities and long-term strategic interests for both the EU and the countries involved in the project.

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