African countries are exploring new opportunities to strengthen digital public infrastructure through a learning mission in India led by the United Nations Development Programme. This week in New Delhi, UNDP in India welcomed delegations from Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Zambia for the Africa Accelerator for Digital Public Infrastructure South-South Cooperation Learning Mission. The programme is designed to give participating countries practical exposure to India’s digital systems and the institutions that helped develop them. The mission brings together government representatives and development partners to exchange knowledge on how digital infrastructure can improve public services and support inclusive development. It also reflects growing interest across Africa in building secure, accessible and efficient digital systems that respond to local development priorities.
The learning mission is taking place across New Delhi, Pune and Bangalore, giving the African delegations an opportunity to engage directly with organisations involved in India’s digital transformation. Participants are expected to examine several major components of India’s digital public infrastructure ecosystem, including Aadhaar for digital identity, the Unified Payments Interface for real-time payments and DigiLocker for secure digital document exchange. These systems have become important parts of India’s digital service environment and provide examples of how large-scale digital platforms can support interactions between citizens, businesses and government. The African delegations will take part in hands-on working sessions rather than relying only on presentations and theoretical discussions. This practical approach is intended to help participants understand how digital systems are designed, implemented and managed in real-world environments.
A key part of the programme involves engagement with the Unique Identification Authority of India, which oversees Aadhaar, one of the world’s largest digital identity systems. Digital identity can help governments improve access to services by providing reliable ways to authenticate individuals and manage interactions with public institutions. For African countries pursuing their own digital transformation strategies, India’s experience can provide useful lessons on issues such as system design, institutional coordination and service delivery. However, the value of the exchange lies in understanding which elements can be adapted to local circumstances rather than simply copying India’s approach. Each participating country has different populations, infrastructure, regulations and development priorities, making context an important part of the learning process.
The delegation will also engage with the National Payments Corporation of India, which plays a central role in India’s digital payments ecosystem. The Unified Payments Interface has helped facilitate real-time digital transactions and has become a prominent example of interoperable payment infrastructure. For African countries, digital payments can support financial inclusion, simplify transactions and create new opportunities for individuals and businesses. Learning from India’s experience can help policymakers consider how payment systems can be designed to remain accessible while supporting security and interoperability. The discussions can also encourage participants to examine the institutional frameworks and partnerships required to build trusted digital payment infrastructure.
DigiLocker is another important element of the learning mission because it demonstrates how digital platforms can support secure access to official documents. Digital document systems can reduce administrative burdens for citizens while helping government institutions exchange information more efficiently. Such infrastructure can also contribute to faster service delivery when citizens can securely access verified records without repeatedly submitting physical paperwork. The African delegations can use India’s experience as a reference when considering how similar services might be developed or strengthened in their own countries. The focus on secure data exchange also highlights the importance of trust, privacy and strong governance when governments move public services into digital environments.
The programme extends beyond digital identity and payments by involving India’s health and agriculture institutions. Engagement with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare gives participants an opportunity to examine how digital infrastructure can support essential sectors of the economy and public service delivery. Agriculture is particularly important for many African economies, where farmers and rural communities can benefit from better access to information, markets, government programmes and financial services. Digital tools can also help institutions manage data and coordinate programmes more effectively. By studying applications across different sectors, the mission allows participants to consider digital public infrastructure as a foundation that can support a broad range of development objectives.
UNDP in India Resident Representative Angela-Lusigi highlighted the importance of adapting India’s experience to African priorities during her opening remarks. She noted that India’s digital transformation offers valuable lessons, while stressing that the greater opportunity lies in connecting those experiences with the specific priorities of African countries. This distinction is important because successful digital transformation depends on more than technology alone. Governments also need appropriate policies, institutions, skills, infrastructure and public trust to ensure that digital systems deliver meaningful benefits. The learning mission therefore focuses on creating practical connections between India’s experience and the needs of participating African countries.
The South-South cooperation approach gives the mission a broader purpose beyond a traditional study visit. Instead of treating one country as simply a provider of knowledge and another as a recipient, the programme creates opportunities for participants to share their own experiences and challenges. Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Zambia each have their own digital transformation journeys, which means their representatives can also contribute valuable insights to the discussions. Comparing different approaches can help identify solutions that are more adaptable to the realities of African countries. The exchange can also create professional relationships that continue after the mission ends.
For Zambia, participation in the Africa Accelerator for Digital Public Infrastructure learning mission provides an opportunity to deepen its understanding of digital systems and explore approaches that could support national development. Digital public infrastructure can contribute to more efficient government services, improved financial inclusion and better access to information when implemented effectively. Zambia can draw lessons from India’s experience while assessing how those lessons align with its own institutions, infrastructure and policy environment. Engagement with other African countries also creates an opportunity to compare experiences and identify shared challenges. The mission could therefore contribute to broader conversations about how Zambia and other participating countries can build digital systems that serve citizens more effectively.
The mission also highlights the growing importance of partnerships in digital transformation. Governments cannot develop sustainable digital ecosystems through technology investments alone, as successful systems require cooperation between public institutions, private organisations, technical experts and development partners. Platforms such as digital identity, payments and data exchange require coordination across multiple institutions to operate effectively. Learning missions can help policymakers understand these relationships while creating opportunities for future technical and institutional cooperation. The partnerships established through the programme could eventually support new projects, policy development and knowledge-sharing initiatives across participating countries.
The Africa Accelerator for Digital Public Infrastructure initiative ultimately provides a platform for countries to learn from one another while developing practical approaches to digital transformation. The engagement with Indian institutions gives African delegations direct exposure to systems that have been implemented at significant scale, while the South-South cooperation model keeps the focus on mutual learning and adaptation. The participation of Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Zambia demonstrates the shared interest in using digital infrastructure to improve public services and support inclusive development. As the delegations continue their engagements across New Delhi, Pune and Bangalore, the value of the mission will depend on how effectively the knowledge gained is translated into locally relevant action. The broader goal remains clear, to turn shared experiences into practical digital solutions that strengthen institutions, expand opportunities and improve the way citizens access essential services.