By Abubakarr Sankoh
World leaders adopted a pact for the future on the 22nd September in New York at the Summit of the Future 2024. Chief Minister, David Moinina Sengeh, delivered a powerful call to action, urging global leaders and technology companies to support Africa’s digital economy by enabling
monetization across the continent. His appeal came as the international community committed to building a more inclusive and just society through the newly established Pact for the Future and its accompanying frameworks, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration for Future Generations.
The Pact for the Future, a historic agreement reached at the summit, underscores global collaboration in addressing key challenges such as economic inequality, digital access, and sustainable development. Its annexes, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration for Future Generations, highlight commitments to universal digital inclusion, responsible tech practices, and the preservation of rights for future generations. “Why should the big tech companies like YouTube, we contribute, we create content but then your country is not eligible to make money from it. Why? Somebody, the head of Google, YouTube and TikTok. Should you say everybody can make money because we all create content” Sengeh emphasized.
In his address, Sengeh emphasized Africa’s vast potential in the digital age, but pointed to the current barriers preventing African creators, businesses, and innovators from fully benefiting from global platforms. “I call on all tech companies to allow monetization in Africa,” said Sengeh, stressing that this is not the colonial period with the mindset of exclusion. In Africa, few countries make money from these tech companies and it’s unjust to the rest of the countries that do not have the ability to monetize content and services, many African innovators remain locked out of the global digital economy.
Sengeh highlighted the role of monetization tools, such as payment systems and ad revenue platforms, in empowering African entrepreneurs and promoting local economic growth. With digital inclusion identified as a key pillar in the Global Digital Compact, his appeal resonated strongly with the summit’s broader goals of reducing digital disparities between the Global North and South.
“We cannot speak of a just and inclusive society if entire regions are cut off from the economic benefits of the digital world,” Sengeh noted, pointing to the success stories of tech hubs in Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana, while underscoring the need for broader access to monetization across Africa.
As the Summit of the Future 2024 concluded, Sengeh’s call for digital equity in Africa left a lasting impression, setting the stage for future collaborations aimed at unlocking Africa’s potential in the digital economy. His message was clear: achieving global justice and inclusivity requires ensuring that every individual, regardless of geography, has the tools and opportunities to succeed in the digital age.