𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞: 𝐀 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐂𝐄𝐎 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐦

𝗥𝗮𝗯𝗮𝘁, 𝟯𝟭 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 – Gathered at the end of August on the campus of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Rabat, around forty young African senior civil servants representing 24 countries concluded the inaugural retreat of the LEAD program. Designed to bring together the new generation of public leaders, the initiative, spearheaded by the Africa CEO Forum, aims to place excellence in public policy and the quality of economic governance at the heart of the continent’s transformative agenda, drawing on best practices from the Global South.

As part of this first edition, participants chose to focus on a major strategic issue: Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). These infrastructures, including digital identity, instant payment systems, and data interoperability platforms, are now recognized as essential catalysts for economic transformation. At a time when South Africa holds the G20 presidency for the first time and following the launch last May of its own Digital Transformation Roadmap, a unique momentum is emerging to accelerate Africa’s agenda around DPI.

“Digital Public Infrastructure today represents for Africa what roads and ports were a century ago: a fundamental lever of transformation. LEAD is proud to support a new generation of African policymakers by giving them access to the best practices of the Global South to accelerate the development of tailored and sovereign DPI,” said Amir Ben Yahmed, President of the Africa CEO Forum.

The LEAD program embraces a resolutely pan-African and Global South-oriented approach, based on the conviction that building solutions adapted to African realities requires inspiration from the most

impactful reforms in the South. For instance, in Brazil, the public payment system PIX has brought

71.5 million unbanked people into the financial system and is expected to generate a positive impact of $52 billion on GDP by 2028. In India, Aadhaar has become the world’s largest biometric database, covering more than 1.3 billion people and saving $28 billion through more efficient delivery of public aid. These experiences highlight the power of DPI when designed as public goods in the service of inclusive governance.

Throughout the year, LEAD participants will continue their work through comparative publications, webinars, opinion pieces, and direct exchanges with government stakeholders. Their goal: to contribute to advancing Africa’s DPI agenda by inspiring and accelerating the implementation of concrete reforms to build sovereign, inclusive, and interoperable digital infrastructures.

The Rabat retreat offered an exceptional platform for dialogue, enriched by high-level interventions, including those of Nadia Fettah Alaoui, Morocco’s Minister of Economy and Finance; Carlos Lopes, Professor at the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance; Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Chairman of Access Holdings and Coronation Group and Chairman of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation; Donald Kaberuka, CEO of Southbridge Investment and former President of the African Development Bank; Mostafa Terrab, CEO of OCP; and Amir Ben Yahmed, CEO of the Africa CEO Forum. All emphasized the imperative of investing in robust digital infrastructure as the foundation for the continent’s economic and social transformation.

Launched by the Africa CEO Forum alongside strategic partners – the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), and Afreximbank – the LEAD initiative brings together young African senior civil servants each year to work on strategic issues and inspire the transformation of public policy across the continent. With this first cycle dedicated to DPI, LEAD confirms its role as a catalyst for developing committed and visionary public leaders, capable of driving the transformation of African public policy.

LEAD also benefits from the strong support of stakeholders committed to excellence in public policy and the promotion of good governance. Among them, BOAD, the ARISE Foundation, African Reinsurance Corporation (Africa Re), and ASAFO C CO contribute their expertise and resources to advance LEAD’s mission.