Technology policies and sovereignty

At the conclusion of the 2nd Extraordinary Session of the Conference of Heads of State of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), held in Lagos in April 1980, an Action Plan for the Economic Development of Africa was adopted. Its aim was to promote “self-sustaining and self-reliant rapid economic development.” Further advancing its aspirations for Africa’s technological progress, as outlined in Agenda 2063 of April 2015, the OAU launched in June 2014 the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa, known as STISA-2024. This strategy aims to place science, technology, and innovation at the heart of Africa’s social and economic development.

It is within this framework that LASPAD has defined and initiated a new research axis focused on Technological Policies and Sovereignty in Africa.

Now more than ever, the world finds itself in an era of digital transformation, marked by the exponential development of advanced technologies—most notably artificial intelligence, whose applications are both promising and diverse. Unfortunately, as in many other sectors, African countries face a significant developmental gap when it comes to the appropriation of these technologies.

Senegal—and more broadly, the African continent—must implement tailored technological policies to achieve structural sovereignty. These policies must be supported by robust digital transformation across all critical sectors for development: health, education, economy, agriculture, infrastructure, transportation, security, and defense.

Through this new research axis on Technological Policies and Sovereignty, LASPAD aims to define a strategic orientation capable of producing high-impact results that will inform future policy decisions. These policies are essential for achieving genuine sovereignty. To that end, three priority sectors have been selected to launch and concentrate research efforts during the 2025–2030 period:

– The infrastructure sector (including transport, ports, and maritime systems)

– The industry and renewable energy sector

– The space sector