Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during an event at Discovery World Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Milwaukee. is announcing the formation of a new partnership to help provide internet access to 80% of Africa by 2030, up from roughly 40% now.to Washington by Kenyan President William Ruto. Harris and the Kenyan leader were scheduled to have a fireside chat on Friday at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce about how public-private partnerships can increase economic growth.
Besides launching the nonprofit Partnership for Digital Access in Africa to improve internet access, Harris, a Democrat, is announcing a new initiative geared toward giving 100 million African people and businesses in the agricultural sector access to the digital economy. The African Development Bank Group along with Mastercard, among other organizations, will help form the Mobilizing Access to the Digital Economy Alliance, or MADE. The alliance will start a pilot program to give digital access to 3 million farmers in Kenya, Tanzania and Nigeria, before expanding elsewhere.
Harris, the first female U.S. vice president, is also announcing that the Women in the Digital Economy efforts to address the gender divide in technology access have now generated more than $1 billion in public and private commitments, with some U.S. commitments pending congressional approval.Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.