The Commission of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and the West African Development Bank (BOAD) signed a partnership agreement on July 28, 2021 to boost the digital transformation sector. The aim is to jointly conduct programmes and projects in the digital economy sector within space.

The signing ceremony of the partnership agreement between the Heads of the two institutions of the Union took place by videoconference in the presence, in particular, of the WAEMU Commissioner in charge of the Digital Economy. It is part of the new joint dynamic of the two institutions in order to ensure effective management of programs and projects in the digital economy sector within the WAEMU area. The President of the WAEMU Commission, Abdoulaye Diop, stressed that this new partnership testifies to the quality of cooperation and especially to BOAD's commitment alongside the Commission, for the implementation of development projects for the benefit of the populations of the Union. "This partnership agreement for the acceleration of digital transformation in the WAEMU region is a great way to achieve, as soon as possible, the digitalization of public and private services, and thus significantly improve the productivity of businesses and households in the Union ," he will say.

That the partnership agreement, the Commission and BOAD agree to articulate their cooperation around three main axes, namely, the improvement of the legislative and regulatory framework of the digital economy sector, the development of infrastructure The digital economy and the development of digital public services in the WAEMU zone. A total of eight programmes and projects have already been selected for this future collaboration. The President of BOAD, Serge Ekue recalls that "the WAEMU Commission will coordinate the carrying out of studies relating to community programmes and projects within the framework of this Convention; and BOAD will coordinate the mobilization of funding resources and the operational implementation of related programmes and projects." According to him, this cooperation agreement will accelerate the emergence of the digital economy sector and amplify the vast digitalization movement underway in administrations, companies and in the community area more generally where all activities are impacted.