(Ecofin Agency) - In Mali, the ICT agency (Agence des technologies de l’information et de la communication-AGETIC) will help the Bamako regional development agency (ADR) transform the capital into a smart city. In that regard, the two parties have decided to elaborate an action plan for the various projects.

During the signature of their agreements last week, it was also decided that AGETIC will support ADR in IT training.

According to Hamed Salif Camara (photo), managing director of AGETIC, the transformation of Bamako into a smart city has become necessary because "citizens need some services they should access rapidly and at a lower cost."

For Cheick Oumar Maïga, general secretary to the minister of communications and the digital economy, this agreement will simplify citizens’ lives thanks to applications developed by AGETIC.

The transformation of Bamako into a smart city falls within the framework of the Africa Smart Towns Network (ASToN) initiative launched by the French Development Agency.