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DevNews Desk| East Africa. Urge- DevWire
EAC, IGAD and World Bank-backed countries convene to accelerate digital integration in Eastern Africa
The East African Community (EAC), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and five Eastern African countries have convened in Nairobi to strengthen regional cooperation on digital transformation and connectivity.
The three-day Regional Coordination Workshop on Accelerating Regional Digital Integration and Connectivity Across Eastern Africa runs from 22 to 24 September 2026. The participating countries are Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan, alongside representatives from the EAC, IGAD and the World Bank.
The initiative brings together governments and regional institutions involved in World Bank-supported digital transformation programmes, with the objective of accelerating cooperation on regional digital integration.
Digital connectivity is increasingly important for economic participation, public service delivery and cross-border trade. Greater coordination between countries can support more integrated digital systems and improve opportunities for businesses and citizens to access services across borders.
For Eastern Africa, regional cooperation is particularly relevant as governments expand digital public services and seek to strengthen connectivity between national economies.
The workshop provides a platform for participating governments and regional bodies to coordinate their digital transformation activities and advance regional integration priorities.
The meeting also reflects the role of development financing in supporting digital infrastructure and institutional cooperation across countries.
The EAC's announcement identifies the World Bank-supported programmes as a central part of the regional coordination effort, although it does not specify a new funding amount or announce a separate financing commitment.
DevNews Desk| East Africa. Urge- DevWire
Tanzania, Arusha- 23 September 2026
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