Addis ababa: In a landmark speech at the China-Africa Digital Industry Cooperation Forum, His Excellency Engineer Ahmed Derdiri Ghandour, Minister of Digital Transformation and Telecommunications for the Republic of Sudan, emphasized Sudan’s commitment to digital innovation as a cornerstone of national development. Representing Sudan for the first time at this prestigious forum, Minister Ghandour highlighted a new national vision driven by an ambitious leadership looking to transcend past limitations.
According to Sudan News Agency, Minister Ghandour expressed gratitude to strategic partners, notably the People’s Republic of China, the UN Development Programme, the African Union of Telecommunications, and the Government of Ethiopia, for hosting the forum. He stressed that digital cooperation between Africa and China has evolved from being a mere vision to becoming a strategic reality. This collaboration is seen as crucial in addressing Sudan’s challenges and in crafting a resilient digital future.
Minister Ghandour detailed Sudan’s digital transformation roadmap, which is anchored on four central priorities. Firstly, the focus is on building smart, resilient infrastructure to secure Sudan’s digital future and facilitate regional integration. Sudan’s geographic position as a digital corridor linking East, Central, and West Africa to global digital routes is seen as a strategic advantage.
Secondly, advancing digital transformation and cybersecurity is a priority. Initiatives have been launched to modernize e-government services across three domains: Government to Citizen (G2C), Government to Business/NGOs (G2B), and State to State (G2G). These efforts aim to enhance trade facilitation and public service delivery, while safeguarding digital sovereignty and public trust.
The third priority is investing in human capital, with a focus on equipping youth and women with skills in AI, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies. This is intended not only to meet current needs but to position them as future leaders in innovation.
Lastly, fostering equitable, strategic partnerships is key to Sudan’s approach. China’s expertise in scalable digital infrastructure and technology transfer is seen as pivotal in Sudan’s transformation journey. Minister Ghandour commended China’s strategic initiative in placing digital cooperation at the heart of Africa-China relations, which aligns with Sudan’s goals of innovation, good governance, and strategic partnerships.
In closing, Minister Ghandour reiterated Sudan’s readiness to collaborate, deliver, and lead in shaping a more connected, secure, and inclusive future. He expressed hope that the forum would serve as a turning point from dialogue to action, and ambition to achievement, with a commitment to technology as a means for peace and shared prosperity.