Highlights :

• EU and EIB provide CFA27 billion to fund Congo’s Digital Acceleration Project (PATN)

• Investment targets education, health systems, administrative interconnection, and youth training

• Project aligns with Congo’s digital strategy to close connectivity gaps and modernize services

Congo’s digital transformation strategy continues to gain momentum with new financial backing from the European Union (EU) and the European Investment Bank (EIB). On June 17, Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and the Digital Economy Léon Juste Ibombo launched the next phase of the Digital Acceleration Project (PATN), supported by CFA27 billion (about $47.6 million) in European funding.

The package includes a CFA10 billion grant from the EU and a CFA17 billion loan from the EIB. This comes in addition to the CFA61.4 billion initial funding from the World Bank secured in 2023, which kickstarted the PATN’s implementation.

At the launch event in Brazzaville, EIB’s regional public sector director, Svetla Stoeva, emphasized the scope of the project: “This project we are launching today is not simply technological. It is a society project, designed to sustainably enhance public governance, build the skills of Congolese people, protect personal data and open new opportunities for youth and women in an increasingly digital world.”

The funding will help develop information systems in higher education and health, interconnect public administrations, and establish a national certification framework. It also supports professional integration programs focused on youth and women, with dedicated training components. Cybersecurity is a key pillar, with technical and institutional support allocated to the National Data Protection Commission to reinforce Congo’s digital sovereignty.

The PATN is part of the National Development Plan 2022–2026 and the Vision Digital Congo 2025 strategy. Both aim to build a more structured digital ecosystem and reduce the national digital divide. With only 38.4% of the population connected to the internet at the start of 2025, according to DataReportal, the need for investment in infrastructure and skills remains urgent.

Designed with climate resilience in mind, the ongoing Dakar sustainable urban mobility project incorporates drainage systems and environmentally sound solutions to mitigate flooding risks.

In the long term, the PATN is expected to boost internet access, strengthen digital governance, and attract investment in Congo’s tech sector. The project’s emphasis on public service interconnection, administrative digitization, and youth upskilling is intended to foster innovation, economic inclusion, and more efficient government delivery.