Illustrative

Digital Transformation

AIM Global West Africa CoE — Advanced Manufacturing

Sierra Leone · RegionalManufacturing · Digital Transformation and Connectivity

A Centre of Excellence for AI-enabled advanced manufacturing in West Africa, helping SMEs and public institutions adopt AI and digital tools through diagnostics, training, technology demonstration and investment facilitation, with Phase 1 pilots in Sierra Leone, Ghana and Senegal.

Capital sought

USD 35m

Capital sought

Instrument

Grant

Instrument and capital structure under review

Timeline

Phase 1, then ECOWAS

Regional scale-up in years 3–5

Rationale

Africa holds less than 1% of global data-centre capacity against roughly 18% of the world's population.² The Centre gives SMEs and public institutions a practical route to adopt AI in industry, as the delivery vehicle for Pillar IV of the Freetown Communiqué.

Functions: Diagnostics, training, demonstration, advisory
Pilots: Sierra Leone, Ghana, Senegal; Guinea possible
Budget: c. USD 3–5m per pilot country²
Stage: Greenfield; concept note and pre-feasibility

Investment opportunity

Transaction structure

Establish the Centre in three Phase 1 pilot countries, then scale across ECOWAS Member States.

Use of funds

Facility, equipment, connectivity infrastructure, software licensing and a multi-year talent pipeline.¹

Revenue basis

Proposed streams: training fees, prototyping-as-a-service and production royalties; financial model to be developed.¹

The ask

Funding partners to establish the Centre and its Phase 1 pilots; instrument and capital structure under review.

Why it is bankable

Policy anchor.

A delivery vehicle for Pillar IV of the Freetown Communiqué and the USD 10 billion AfDB–UNDP–AfCEN AI Initiative.²

Clear capacity gap.

Africa holds less than 1% of global data-centre capacity against roughly 18% of the world's population.²

SME demand.

Diagnostics, skills training and technology demonstration address core digital-adoption gaps for SMEs and public institutions.²

Regional scale-up.

In years 3–5 the Centres join the AIM Global Network of Centres of Excellence and scale to the remaining ECOWAS states.²

Data and evidence · Programme scope

3+1

Phase 1 pilot countries; Guinea a potential fourth

c. 3–5 USD m

Estimated budget per pilot country

Young West Africans to train by 2028 (Freetown Communiqué)

<1%

Africa's share of global data-centre capacity

c. 18%

Africa's share of world population

Project readiness and timeline

OriginationGreenfield; concept note v1
FeasibilityCurrent stage
StructuringCapital structure under review
Financial closeTo follow
Phase 1 operationsPilots in three countries

Key risks and mitigants

Revenue model

Proposed streams are not yet modelled; a financial model and revenue plan are to be developed before close.

Multi-country delivery

Phase 1 is limited to three pilot countries; ECOWAS expansion follows only in years 3–5.

Data governance

Data governance and safeguards are documented for review in the Tier 2 data room.

Transaction terms

Technology: AI-enabled digital transformation
Location: Sierra Leone; Phase 1 pilots also in Ghana and Senegal; site under NDA
Development stage: Greenfield; concept note
Delivery phases: Inception, implementation, then ECOWAS expansion in years 3–5
Linkages: WAIIS Deal Room; AfDB–UNDP–AfCEN AI Initiative; ECOWAS Data Embassy
WAIIS pillar: Digital Transformation

Development impact

Skills

Supports the Freetown Communiqué target of training 1 million young West Africans by 2028.²

Enterprise

Stronger SME and public-sector adoption of digital and AI tools in industry and manufacturing.²

Investment

A stronger pipeline of investment-ready projects for the WAIIS Deal Room and the AI Initiative.²