The 2025 meeting of the West Africa Digital Governance Forum (WADGov Forum) officially started this Monday morning, 3rd November, in Abuja, Nigeria, bringing together representatives from all West African countries responsible for digital governance. The two-day event is organized by the United Nations University - Operating Unit on Policy-Driven Electronic Governance (UNU-EGOV), in collaboration with the Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), and supported by GIZ. The opening session featured Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigeria, as host of the WADGov Forum; Arpine Korekyan, Governance and Public Administration Officer at the Digital Government Branch, Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government, UN DESA; Eva Scholtes, representing GIZ; and Delfina Soares, Director of UNU-EGOV. The session was moderated by Luís Soares Barbosa, Deputy Director of UNU-EGOV. Over the next sessions, participants will engage in thematic workshops addressing digital government strategies, data governance, inclusive service delivery, and mechanisms for regional cooperation. The WADGov Forum aims to provide a platform for dialogue among national digital governance focal points, fostering the exchange of experiences, identifying opportunities, and developing synergies at both bilateral and regional levels. The Forum’s 2025 edition builds on the outcomes of its inaugural meeting, held in The Gambia in September 2023, where a Founding Committee was established with representatives from several countries, international organizations, and the private sector. The WADGov Forum comprises the following member countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. By the end of the meeting, participants are expected to adopt a joint key message outlining the main recommendations and next steps for implementation. The discussions are anticipated to consolidate a roadmap for digital governance cooperation in West Africa, identify flagship initiatives across member states, and reinforce the Founding Committee as a mechanism for continuity and coordination.
