By Morris Ogbetey
Africa needs interoperable digital infrastructure to grow its digital economy as a unified market, according to Nathalie Kouassi-Akon, Divisional Director for West Africa at the International Finance Corporation.
Speaking on the second day of the 3i Africa Summit 2026 in Accra, she said the continent now needs connected digital payment systems rather than isolated applications and platforms.
“The next step is not about building more apps or more platforms. It’s about building connected systems that allow Africa’s digital economy to grow as one,” she said.
She noted that more than 40.6 million informal businesses across Africa stand to benefit from digital transformation if they are able to formalise their operations.
Delivering the keynote address, Ms Kouassi-Akon said robust and innovative payment platforms could make credit decisions faster and cheaper, while enabling informal businesses to scale up and operate across borders.
“Most importantly, it creates jobs, and we know how critically Africa needs jobs,” she added.
She emphasised that Africa has already demonstrated its digital potential, but the challenge now is whether countries can integrate quickly and effectively enough to compete globally.
Ms Kouassi-Akon also highlighted the continent’s infrastructure gap, which she said reflects decades of underinvestment, rapid urbanisation and increasing demand from a growing and more connected population.
According to her, African countries currently finance about 90 per cent of infrastructure projects from domestic resources, placing significant pressure on government budgets. She added that the digital divide across geography, gender and skill levels continues to limit adoption and contribute to regulatory fragmentation.
She stressed that digital public infrastructure cannot succeed unless those challenges are addressed.
The 3i Africa Summit 2026, currently underway in Accra, is focused on moving Africa from isolated pockets of digital progress to a connected and scalable fintech ecosystem. Discussions at the summit have centred on integration, competitiveness and positioning Africa to compete globally rather than merely serving as a frontier market.
A major announcement at the summit revealed that Ghana will pilot a continental digital trade corridor with Rwanda and Zambia to accelerate cross-border payments, identity verification and e-commerce.
The initiative aims to position Ghana not only as a gateway to Africa, but also as a system where transactions are processed efficiently and markets operate with certainty.
