African Parliaments Urged To Accelerate Digital Transformation for Sustainable Development

African parliaments and governments must enact laws and policies to accelerate the use of modern technology and digital tools to respond to the radical technological shift of the fourth industrial revolution. This call was made on the final day of the 19^th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) African Region, in Gauteng, South Africa.

A conference motion moved by the Deputy Speaker of Namibia, Mr Phillipus Katamelo, on "Leveraging technology and digital tools for effective and sustainable development", proposed that African parliaments must move with urgency to embrace new technologies and encourage their governments to introduce modern digital tools to accelerate service delivery, provide access to information and increase public participation.

"Digital technology is no longer a future consideration, it is the architecture of modern governance, economic inclusion, and democratic legitimacy," said the Mr Katamelo. "African economies are advancing, entrepreneurs are innovating, and citizens are increasingly connected. Yet many of our governance systems still operate on assumptions rooted in pre-digital era paper-based processes, physical presence, and limited access to information."

He told the conference that digital transformation is not optional, but rather foundational to sustainable development, constitutional governance and inclusive democracy. Parliaments must therefore assert their constitutional responsibility to ensure that technology serves democracy, protects rights, and strengthens accountability.

The motion also proposed that parliaments in Africa must enact data protection laws, fund digital infrastructure beyond policy intent and institutionalise parliamentary technology oversight.

The conference heard how the continent is also witnessing the positive impact of new technology. These include mobile financial services expanding financial inclusion, satellite and geospatial tools improving climate and disaster response and digital identity systems enabling access to services and rights.

Other successes include the use of artificial intelligence in agriculture, health diagnostics and public administration; the use of drone logistics to improve healthcare delivery in remote areas; e-government platforms reducing inefficiency and corruption; and educational technologies expanding access to learning. "These examples confirm a central principle: digital transformation is already happening in Africa, by Africans, for African development," said the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Namibia.

The call for digital transformation was further supported in a paper to second the motion, prepared by the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria, Dr Abbas Tajudeen, and presented by CSPOC regional representative for West Africa, Ms Mary Muyali Meboka.

She noted the growing concern about paper-based processes, information asymmetry and delays in fiscal reporting that continue to weaken legislative scrutiny and enable leakages in public expenditure. "Digital tools such as integrated financial management information systems, e-procurement platforms, open budget portals, SDG tagging systems and geo-tagged project monitoring have proven effective in enhancing transparency, accountability, and evidence-based decision-making in several jurisdictions.

"Therefore, the Speakers and Presiding Officers, as guardians of parliamentary procedure and institutional development, must lead the digital transformation of legislatures to ensure effective and sustainable development", she told the conference.

The Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly in the Parliament of Sout Africa, Dr Annelie Lotriet, presented her country's support for the motion and the importance of digital transformation in the legislative sector and government. "Digital technology is something that we have to embrace as parliamentarians. Digital transformation is not only an IT project but an institutional initiative and as parliaments we have to take the lead," she said.

Sakhile Mokoena
19 June 2026