On January 31, 2025, UNU-EGOV and UNDP Bissau met with Prime Minister Rui Duarte Barros to discuss the next steps for the National Digital Transformation Strategy for Guinea-Bissau (ENTD.GW), particularly its approval by the Council of Ministers. This high-level meeting reflected the commitment of Guinea-Bissau’s government to advancing its digital agenda and ensuring strategic alignment across key sectors.
High-Level Engagement: Meeting with the Prime Minister
The Prime Minister’s Cabinet Chief, representatives from UNU-EGOV and UNDP Bissau, and key stakeholders participated in the meeting, which addressed:
- The telecommunications market and its challenges.
- The Universal Access Fund as a mechanism to expand digital infrastructure.
- The short-term priority interventions of the ENTD.GW.
- The necessary decree for the approval of ENTD.GW by the Council of Ministers.
This dialogue reinforced the importance of institutional support in translating Guinea-Bissau’s digital ambitions into actionable policies.
A Strategic Milestone: Public Launch of the ENTD.GW
Since July 2024, UNU-EGOV has collaborated with UNDP Bissau to develop the ENTD.GW, an initiative designed to accelerate the country's digital transformation. The strategy was officially launched on January 29, 2025, at an event attended by:
- The Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau.
- The Minister of Transportation, Telecommunication, and the Digital Economy.
- Representatives from government entities, embassies, and international organizations.
Following the launch, on January 31, 2025, a full-day capacity-building event was held, gathering nearly 50 participants from ministries and public institutions. Organized in partnership with ITMA (Technological Institute for Administrative Modernization), the event provided:
- A presentation on the ENTD.GW framework.
- An in-depth discussion on the implementation of key interventions.
- A dedicated session on change management in the context of digital governance.
The Vision Behind ENTD.GW
The ENTD.GW aims to transform Guinea-Bissau into a digital nation, fostering a strong and reliable state to drive economic growth and social inclusion. Built upon ten strategic pillars - infrastructure, data, economy, people, literacy, governance, innovation, trust, sustainability, and public services - the strategy outlines:
- Six strategic objectives.
- Fifty-five interventions to enable a structured transition to digital governance.
The formulation of ENTD.GW was stakeholder-driven, with consultations conducted by Beatriz Lanza, who spent two months in Bissau conducting an in-depth diagnosis. A series of meetings and workshops ensured a broad validation process, integrating insights from multiple sectors.
Next Steps: Implementation and Stakeholder Coordination
Beyond its launch, UNU-EGOV continues working with UNDP Bissau to ensure:
- Government ownership of the strategy.
- Coordination of stakeholders involved in digital transformation.
A second phase of the UNU-EGOV and UNDP Bissau collaboration is already underway. This includes the development of a project document, which will:
- Map ongoing efforts by different stakeholders.
- Outline UNDP’s direct contributions to operationalizing the strategy.
- Serve as a foundation for resource mobilization and implementation planning.
With these steps, Guinea-Bissau moves closer to realizing its digital transformation goals, fostering a more inclusive and innovative digital economy.
