{
  "id": 9537550,
  "title": "EARDIP: Eastern African countries step up efforts to boost digital connectivity",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/eardip-eastern-african-countries-step-up-efforts-to-boost-digital",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-24T10:27:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "KBC",
    "slug": "kbc",
    "url": "https://www.kbc.co.ke/eardip-eastern-african-countries-step-up-efforts-to-boost-digital-connectivity/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Eastern African nations are intensifying their efforts to enhance digital connectivity and integration, bringing together leaders from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan in Nairobi for a three-day workshop. The gathering aims to accelerate regional digital integration and connectivity, focusing on the World Bank-funded Eastern Africa Regional Digital Integration Project (EARDIP) and associated initiatives. Alongside the East African Community (EAC) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), these countries are working to remove cross-border barriers, harmonize policies, and deepen digital integration.\n\nThe workshop's discussions centered on aligning national investments and policies to bolster broadband connectivity, digital public infrastructure, cybersecurity, and cross-border digital trade. Attendees are also exploring methods to improve digital systems' interoperability, bolster cybersecurity cooperation, and enhance access to digital public services across borders. Organizers emphasized the critical role of synchronizing investments and policies to expedite cross-border broadband connectivity, enhance cybersecurity collaboration, expand digital public infrastructure and services, and tap into cross-border digital trade and e-commerce opportunities.\n\nKenya is actively engaged in the regional initiative through the Kenya Digital Economy Acceleration Project (KDEAP), which complements EARDIP's regional goals. The EARDIP framework aims to bolster three interlinked markets: regional connectivity, cross-border data exchange, and online markets that facilitate digital services and e-commerce. The workshop is also scrutinizing past endeavors to harmonize policies and regulations, share technical expertise, and establish bilateral arrangements to facilitate cross-border connectivity. This coordinated approach follows a surge in Eastern African countries' investments in broadband infrastructure and digital public services, necessitating national projects to collaborate across borders.",
  "summary": "Representatives from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan are meeting in Nairobi to align digital investments, policies and cross-border connectivity. The post EARDIP: Eastern African countries step up efforts to boost digital connectivity appeared first on KBC Digital .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}