Ethiopia’s Digital Transformation Serves as Model for African Countries, Says Benin Minister

Addis Ababa, August 5, 2026 (ENA) —Ethiopia’s digital transformation is an exemplary model that other African countries can learn from, Benin’s Minister of Digital Transformation and Innovation, Mahuna Akplogan revealed.

Akplogan, who led a Beninese delegation, made the remarks after visiting the Modern Ethiopian Service for Organized Benefits (MESOB) and National ID service centers.

According to the minister, the visit is part of the growing cooperation between Ethiopia and Benin in technology and digital innovation.

It focused on sharing experiences and strengthening institutional partnerships on the development, expansion and accessibility of digital public services for citizens and businesses, he added.

Speaking to journalists, the minister described Ethiopia’s digital transformation efforts as a “textbook case” for Africa.

 He further elaborated that Benin is interested in learning from Ethiopia’s experience and adopting best practices in digital service delivery.

“Ethiopia has recently demonstrated that the country has been able to be very effective in digital transformation and in innovating the services offered to citizens,” he said.

 

The minister also said Ethiopia’s Digital Ethiopia 2025 strategy provided a strong foundation for the country’s digital advancement, paving the way for Digital Ethiopia 2030, which sets more ambitious objectives.

He also added that Benin aims to understand Ethiopia’s approach to digital transformation while exploring areas of cooperation between the two countries.

“The two countries are entering a phase of learning from one another and exploring broader areas of cooperation,” Akplogan noted.

MESOB Service CEO Yonas Alemayehu on his part said that the visit provided an opportunity to share Ethiopia’s experience in building an integrated digital government service platform.

 

MESOB has evolved within a year from a one-stop service center into a unified digital platform and is preparing to launch a self-service smart MESOB system, he emphasized.

Yonas said the Beninese delegation showed particular interest in MESOB’s institutional integration model, which they identified as a possible approach to addressing similar challenges in their own digital service systems.

Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s National ID Executive Director Yodahe Zemichael also noted that the delegation learned about Ethiopia’s experience in building domestic technological capacity for digital identity services.

According to him, the initiative aligns with the African Union’s vision of facilitating the movement of people across the continent and supporting trade and economic integration.

 

Yodahe added that discussions were held on possible future cooperation between Ethiopia and Benin in digital identity and other technology-driven projects.

The visit underscored the growing partnership between the two countries and highlighted opportunities for collaboration in digital transformation, innovation, technology development and knowledge exchange.