Towards a Green, Secure, and Climate-Resilient Data Infrastructure and Environment in West Africa

Project Summary:

This grant aims to optimize government data hosting and storage practices in ECOWAS countries by promoting better data management practices and improving service delivery through green, climate-resilient, and sustainable approach.

Currently, data centers in ECOWAS countries use twice as much energy per unit of data when compared with global benchmarks, reflecting operational inefficiencies in the system and undermining sustainability. Lack of awareness about advanced data hosting and management technologies, coupled with insufficient expertise in energy-efficient and sustainable practices, prevents public institutions from adopting effective data management solutions. Furthermore, the absence of strategic procurement and sustainable management practices keeps them behind in incorporating resilience principles and leverage data for adaptive capacity before, during, and after climate shocks.

This project will be directly linked to a Bank’s pipeline and two ongoing lending, which are board-approved and under implementation - Western African Regional Digital Integration Program SOP1 (WARDIP-SOP1) and the Digital Carbo Verde project.