With 2025 on the horizon, we stand at a pivotal crossroads, with power to shape the future of digitalization. The decisions we make today will have extraordinary impact on whether data and technology benefit people and society in the future, or exacerbate inequality, fuel jobless growth, and undermine trust in institutions.
Yet, the window of opportunity to steer these outcomes in a positive direction is rapidly closing.
Data legislation is being passed at record rates; investments in digital infrastructure are accelerating; and continental agreements like the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement are being put into motion and will have wide-ranging impact on how data is shared and used.
Today’s data gap risks becoming tomorrow’s development gap.
Shockingly, of the 3 billion people over the age of 10 who are not using the internet regularly, only 12% live in areas without connectivity. That means over 2.6 billion people have access to the internet but aren’t using it – likely because it is too expensive, they do not have access to devices, or simply, they do not get enough value from being online.
Yet, by being offline, these individuals cannot – and do not – generate the data needed to accurately represent them and their needs.
No where is this more stark than in Africa, where 63% of the continent remains effectively offline. Today, there are tens of millions of Africans living in areas that aren’t mapped granularly; whose language is not reflected online; whose health records are not digitized; and whose identities and assets are not digitally verifiable.
And, with artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions developing at breakneck speed, there will be far fewer solutions – like precision medicine and smart agriculture solutions – that are designed for and with those who are not represented online and in the data.
With the compounding weight of these challenges, the imperative to generate and unlock data for shared value has never been more urgent.
Governments need to accelerate progress against the data gap but have less funding to do so.
Governments in developing countries allocate a fraction of their financial resources to digital and e-government infrastructure compared to their OECD counterparts – often by an alarming margin. Of the $800 billion governments are projected to have spent on technology by the end of 2024, 88% will be spent by “mature” economies whose populations total 2.5 billion. The remaining 160 countries, which comprise 5.5 billion people, will spend the rest. That disparity in per capita spending is staggering, raising urgent questions about how less mature countries can tackle the widening data inequalities. And, with debt burdens rising, these questions become even more pressing.
The movement to encourage modular, interoperable digital foundations – otherwise known as digital public infrastructure – is the best answer to accelerating digitalization in ways that are faster, cheaper, and crucially, better.
Digital public infrastructure (DPI) can reduce the critical data gaps, not only generating and unlocking critical data, but also maximizing its value for people. As an approach, DPI helps create the foundational digital layers – such as data exchange and payments systems – needed to effectively create, capture, and share data. And, once in place, these foundational systems allow for even greater innovation, providing the basis for countless other digital services – like healthcare systems, education portals, and more – to be built on top.
Through our 2024 work, we’ve discovered key trends that are crucial to promoting a robust, trusted DPI ecosystem.
To advance these efforts, over the past year, my team and I have been working hard to fully understand, document, and share what is needed to advance a positive data future. Through this work, we have helped mobilize political will, drive critical collaboration, and bring together change makers from across the digital development and policy spectrums – all in pursuit of fostering trusted, effective DPI and data sharing.
Here are three key takeaways from 2024 that I believe, when actioned, will help move the needle on DPI progress – across Africa and beyond.
1. Metrics are needed to ensure we understand DPI’s impact – and maximize its benefits.
For DPI to provide outsized value, we must understand what makes it a truly impactful approach, rather than repackaging old ideas bound to repeat the mistakes of the past. Good DPI is a holistic approach designed to maximize public value creation; follow clear design principles to ensure flexibility and scalability; and prioritize the rights and aspirations of all people. To fully realize this potential, there is a significant need – and country demand – for metrics that can guide good DPI implementations.
In the coming months, we will publish recommendations from our 6-month consultative process, providing actionable steps for funders to advance the ecosystem of metrics and evidence that can steer DPI efforts in service of people and innovation economies.
For more, dive into an event summary from our Digital Donors Exchange convening on: Impact metrics are the key to realizing DPI’s full benefits.
2. Innovative models are key to promoting effective integration across sectors.
While data exchange is a critical layer of a country’s DPI, trusted data sharing is also accelerating beyond the public sector. Innovative models – like data spaces, data trusts and open transaction networks – can contribute to effective, accessible data, especially for those in low- and middle-income countries who may be unable to afford or access more traditional forms of data sharing.
These are all relatively new models that private and hybrid entities are using to test different forms of governance, technology, and community building to unlock and securely share data. Their development is being driven by an incredible swell of demand for good practices in data sharing, motivated by several forces: the need to optimize public service delivery operations in a context of rising debt burdens; the general fear of missing out on the AI revolution; and clear proof of value coming from Rwanda, Estonia, and elsewhere.
For more, take a look at our flagship report, Beyond the tipping point: how climate data can decide our future.
3. Safeguards can provide the necessary protection to ensure DPI systems function as intended.
In a welcome step forward, over the past year safeguards have become more widely recognized – thanks in large part to the UN’s launch of a new Universal DPI Safeguards Framework. As an important means of protecting – and uplifting – people’s rights and wellbeing, safeguards play a key role in ensuring digital systems remain secure and effective. Still, despite these developments, there remains a lack of full appreciation of the connection between safeguards, trust, and participation.
People will not participate in digital systems without trust, which is nurtured through safeguards, transparency, and control over one’s own data. Safeguards are a key driver of adoption and use – critical to effective systems, rather than a nice-to-have or decelerator of progress. Without systematic adoption of people-first data practices, we will either face slow adoption, completely unused systems, or at worst, wide scale digital harms.
For more, read my recent expert comment on: Without proper safeguards, DPI can veer off course.
As we look ahead to 2025, we’re committed to advancing trusted, effective DPI – in service to people, communities, and society.
As 2024 comes to a close, it is clear that we have entered the decisive decade of data. Over the next few years, the future of data will become clear. While data can be leveraged to solve pressing problems, it may just as easily be limited, hoarded, and misused in ways that undermine trust and opportunity for people across Africa and around the world.
With these competing visions, my team and I are committed to ensuring data is harnessed for the public benefit.
In 2025, our efforts will continue to focus on the importance of uplifting best practices in DPI and data sharing, with a particular focus on targeted engagement across Africa. Through this work, we aim to not only share valuable insights and learnings, but also act as an expert resource, supporting our country partners along their digital transformation journeys. With collaboration and concerted action, we can ensure our data future is a positive one.
