The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Qatar are exploring ways to strengthen their bilateral cooperation in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and other sectors.
On Sunday, January 5, Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi visited Qatar and held talks with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, to discuss areas of potential collaboration.
This discussion comes as the Congolese government intensifies its efforts to leverage digital technology for social development, economic growth, integration, and good governance.
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The DRC aims to accelerate its digital transformation through foreign partnerships, and in November 2024, it signed a memorandum of understanding with Poland to enhance its digital infrastructure.
Congo ranked 41st out of 47 African countries in ICT development
However, the DRC’s ICT development remains behind, ranking 41st out of 47 African countries. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the country scored 31 out of 100 points for ICT development in 2024.
The country has an internet penetration rate of 30 percent and a mobile phone usage rate of about 50 percent.
In 2024, the DRC received a score of 0.2715 out of 1 from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), placing it 175th out of 193 nations worldwide in terms of e-government development.
This puts the nation below the global average (0.6382), Africa’s (0.4247), and Central Africa’s (0.3354) regional averages.
The DRC is classified by the ITU as being in Tier 3, which is a group of nations that exhibit a fundamental commitment to cybersecurity through government-led initiatives including the evaluation, creation, or application of certain widely recognised cybersecurity measures.
In areas like cooperation, capacity building, and technical measures, the nation faces formidable obstacles.
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Congo to leverage on Qatar’s high ICT penetration rate
On the other hand, Qatar has a 97.8 out of 100 ICT development score and a 0.8244 e-government development score. Qatar is also regarded by the ITU as a global cybersecurity model.
Strengthening cooperation with Qatar may give the Congolese government the assistance it needs to grow its ICT industry and further its goals for digital transformation.
Timelines for implementation and intervention areas are among the specifics of this cooperation that have not yet been established.
Furthermore, both parties have not yet signed a formal agreement or made any official announcements.