The interview at AfricaCom brought together Nitesh Singh and Akim Benamara, where Singh, leveraging his extensive experience at Accenture, provided valuable insights. As the Managing Director for Communications, Media & Technology, Singh discussed the changing landscape of policies in Africa’s digital transformation. Emphasizing the historical flexibility in policies that initially accelerated ICT and telecommunications growth, Singh highlighted a recent deceleration. He underscored the importance of fostering a more robust dialogue between the private and public sectors to adapt to the dynamic technological landscape.
In the African context, if we reflect on the early years of the telecommunications boom on the continent, the policies were notably flexible and facilitated a swift deployment of ICT and telecommunications services to the market. However, in recent years, there seems to be a slowdown. Tighter policy control has been observed. As I mentioned on the panel, I believe there’s a need for a more robust private sector-public sector dialogue to foster a win-win mindset and greater flexibility in today’s age.
Nitesh Singh, Managing Director for Communications, Media & Technology, Accenture
Akim Benamara, as the Founder of TechAfrica News, engaged in a thoughtful conversation, exploring the challenges posed by the rapid pace of technological advancements and the necessity of finding a balance between regulatory control and innovation. The interview served as a platform for a meaningful exchange on shaping the future of digital policies in Africa.