Guinea leads West Africa’s digital transformation.
(By Mauro Notarianni, December 11, 2025) The Republic of Guinea hosted the Transform Africa Summit 2025, becoming the first Francophone nation to host this major continental event since its inception in 2013. This confirmed the emergence of Conakry (the Republic’s capital) as a new digital innovation hub in West Africa.
The event attracted over 7,000 participants from 79 countries, including 47 ministers, 1,552 government representatives, 584 business leaders, over 590 startups, and 14 memoranda of understanding (MoUs).
According to the organizers, the Transform Africa Summit has never seen such a mobilization in its history. This unprecedented turnout demonstrates international confidence in Guinea’s ability to lead the challenges of Africa’s digital transformation.
“Guinea’s digital progress is the result of choices made with clarity and conviction under the leadership of President Mamadi Doumbouya,” said Rose Pola Pricemou, Minister of Posts, Telecommunications, and Digital Economy of the Republic of Guinea. “Our progress in infrastructure, data governance, and digital public services reflects a coherent national direction aligned with Africa’s technological future. Guinea’s recognition demonstrates that our country is ready to contribute on a large scale to the continent’s digital transformation.”
This recognition is based on concrete achievements that are reshaping West Africa’s digital landscape. Guinea has deployed a 12,000-kilometer national fiber optic network, quadrupling its backbone capacity from 50 to 200 gigabits, with interconnections with Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, and Sierra Leone, and ongoing projects in Senegal, Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau.
In addition to infrastructure, Guinea is developing a comprehensive innovation ecosystem, including a Level III national data center and an expanding network of digital hubs, six of which are already operational, with 20 more planned by 2026. These initiatives are supported by portals such as TELEMO, the national digital platform for public procurement and administrative services, which improve the transparency and efficiency of governance and align with the Simandou 2040 vision, which emphasizes the role of technology in economic diversification and skills development.
The country has strengthened its regulatory framework with a new data protection law currently being adopted and key institutions (ANSSI and ANDE) to ensure a secure digital transformation. Youth initiatives such as the ANSUTEN Grand Prize, RCUN3, and Hackathon demonstrate significant investment in digital human capital.