The Gates Foundation and Global Partners Call for ‘Digital Empowerment’ to Protect Sovereignty
A critical debate over Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) sovereignty dominated the 2025 Global DPI Summit here last month, as African nations grapple with controlling their digital future in the face of rapid technological advancements like Artificial Intelligence (AI).The continent’s reliance on external donors, multilateral institutions, and foreign technology companies for project funding and expertise is increasingly seen as a threat to national autonomy, particularly concerning data governance and the ethical deployment of AI.
AI Urgency & Digital Empowerment
The consensus among delegates was that the emergence of AI makes the issue of digital control more vital and urgent. Without an active role in how these sophisticated technologies are developed and deployed within their borders, countries risk being plunged into considerable harm.
Sanjay Jain, Director of Digital Public Infrastructure at The Gates Foundation, stressed the need for a fundamental shift in how aid is delivered. Speaking at the summit, Jain stated it is time for donors to move beyond simply offering digital aid to actively helping nations achieve digital empowerment.
Open Source & Domestic Strength: Path To Sovereignty
Two key strategies were highlighted as essential for reclaiming control over DPI:
Embracing Open-Source Software (OSS): Using OSS to build DPI—such as the Gates Foundation-backed MOSIP (for digital ID) and Mojaloop (for digital payments)—allows nations to customise systems to their precise, local needs. However, a recent study noted that the adoption of these freely available systems for DPI is not as widespread as expected.
Utilising Domestic Integrators: Sovereignty also necessitates working with local experts. The summit cited the success of WiredIn, a Rwandan startup, which played a crucial role in integrating Mojaloop into the country’s main digital payments rail.
Kay McGowan, a senior official at the Digital Impact Alliance, noted a shift in the core definition of digital sovereignty. She explained that unlike three years ago, the conversation is less about where data is stored, and more about:
Where the data is
Which software is used
Who is implementing and maintaining it
“There is so much more recognition of the complexity of digital sovereignty and how countries are thinking about how to have agency and make strategic decisions over the design and governance of their digital foundations,” McGowan added.
Private Sector Role
Raising capital for large-scale DPI projects remains a major challenge. The summit emphasised the need for private sector involvement to support government funding efforts.
James Mwangi, CEO of Equity Group Holdings, advocated for a tripartite collaboration: “I think if the private sector and state sit at the same table together with civil society, many countries will be able to craft solutions that make more sense to their specific realities.”
This drive for greater digital autonomy was also a prominent theme at the 2025 CEO Summit in Accra in April, where industry leaders characterised African DPI sovereignty as “a matter of urgency.”
Challenges Beyond Control
While sovereignty dominates the discourse, African nations face numerous systemic challenges in DPI development. In a separate discussion hosted by The Atlantic Council in November, experts catalogued ongoing issues, including:
Rushed decision-making
Limited transparency
Weak data protection systems
Governance failures
These issues underscore the complex reality that the continent must address alongside its push for strategic digital independence.
