The World Bank Group Board of Directors approved $137 million in financing on March 10, 2026, to accelerate digital integration and job creation across Benin, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. The second phase of the Western Africa Regional Digital Integration Program (WARDIP) will connect 5.2 million people to new or enhanced broadband internet, support over 140 digital startups, and train 9,000 individuals in AI, cybersecurity, and entrepreneurship. For contractors and technology firms, this represents one of the largest coordinated digital infrastructure procurement pipelines in West Africa.
The Approval: WARDIP Phase 2
The $137 million package targets three West African nations that rank among the world's least connected. The program operates through three core pillars: expanding and upgrading digital infrastructure for regional competitiveness, fostering a more business-friendly regulatory environment, and enabling businesses to scale and operate across regional markets.
WARDIP Phase 2 builds on a $266.5 million first phase launched in November 2023, which is already supporting The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Mauritania to strengthen institutional capacities and extend broadband access to 1.3 million people. With this second operation, the program now covers seven countries and extends its partnership to the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), creating a unified framework for digital market integration across the region.
Michel Rogy, the World Bank's Digital and AI Regional Practice Director, described the initiative as positioning "West Africa to accelerate economic transformation by creating jobs, strengthening resilience, and enabling a more integrated regional digital market." The program is being implemented in partnership with the African Union, Smart Africa, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Why This Matters for Development
West Africa's digital divide remains staggering. Across Africa, only 38% of the population has internet access, and fixed broadband penetration stands at a mere 0.4%. In the three target countries, the numbers are even worse. Costly and unreliable connectivity limits competitiveness, restricts access to digital financial services, and prevents small businesses from participating in regional and global markets.
The program addresses these barriers head-on with measurable targets:
- 5.2 million people connected to new or enhanced broadband internet
- 5.4 million new users accessing digitally enabled services
- 9,000 individuals trained in digital skills, including AI, cybersecurity, and digital entrepreneurship, with priority given to women and youth
- 140+ digital startups supported with seed financing and market access, including women-led enterprises
The timing is significant. As bilateral aid from traditional donors continues to contract — with USAID effectively dismantled and UK aid falling to 0.3% of GNI — multilateral institutions like the World Bank are filling the gap. WARDIP represents exactly the kind of transformative, multi-country program that MDBs are increasingly championing: infrastructure investment paired with regulatory reform and private sector development.
Procurement Implications
WARDIP Phase 2 creates procurement opportunities across multiple contract types and sectors. The $137 million in IDA financing — combined with the broader $403.5 million WARDIP pipeline across seven countries — generates demand for specialized contractors in telecommunications, IT systems, consulting, and construction.
Telecommunications Infrastructure
The program's first pillar focuses on expanding resilient broadband networks, increasing international connectivity, and strengthening data center capacity. This translates into procurement for:
- Fibre optic backbone networks — trunk and last-mile fibre deployment across Benin, Liberia, and Sierra Leone
- International connectivity — submarine cable landing station upgrades or new connections to existing undersea cable systems serving the West African coast
- Data centers — construction, equipping, and commissioning of new or expanded data center facilities to support cloud services, digital government platforms, and private sector hosting
- Network equipment — routers, switches, transmission equipment, and towers for broadband expansion into underserved rural and peri-urban areas
- Power infrastructure — reliable energy supply systems (solar, hybrid, backup generators) for telecoms installations in off-grid or unreliable-grid areas
Telecoms contractors with experience in African markets, particularly those familiar with West African regulatory environments and procurement frameworks, are well-positioned for these infrastructure tenders.
IT Systems and Digital Platforms
The second and third pillars generate demand for technology consultants, software developers, and systems integrators:
- Digital public services platforms — citizen-facing government service portals, e-procurement systems, and digital identity infrastructure
- Digital financial services — mobile money interoperability platforms, fintech regulatory sandboxes, and payment system infrastructure
- Cross-border digital trade systems — harmonized e-commerce platforms, digital customs integration, and electronic certification systems
- Cybersecurity infrastructure — national CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) setup, network monitoring, and security audit services
These contracts will likely fall under technology and IT tenders and consulting services.
Capacity Building and Training
The skills development component creates opportunities for:
- Training providers — delivering AI, cybersecurity, and digital entrepreneurship curricula to 9,000 individuals
- Startup incubator and accelerator operators — managing support programs for 140+ digital startups
- Technical assistance consultants — regulatory harmonization advisory, digital strategy development, and institutional capacity building for telecommunications regulators in all three countries
- Gender and social inclusion specialists — ensuring women and youth participation targets are met across all program components
Contract Types
Given the World Bank's procurement framework, expect a mix of:
- Works contracts — civil works for fibre trenching, data center construction, tower installation
- Goods contracts — network equipment, servers, fibre cable, and IT hardware
- Consulting services — regulatory advisory, digital strategy, training design, and program management
- Non-consulting services — managed network services, cloud hosting, maintenance contracts
All procurement will follow World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers, with International Competitive Bidding (ICB) for larger packages and national competitive bidding for smaller, country-specific contracts.
Countries and Regions Affected
Benin
Benin has made significant strides in digital governance under President Talon's reform agenda, but broadband infrastructure outside Cotonou and Porto-Novo remains limited. WARDIP2 will extend connectivity into northern and rural areas, supporting the government's ambition to position Benin as a digital hub in francophone West Africa. Benin is also a member of WAEMU, which means regulatory harmonization under WARDIP2 directly benefits its cross-border digital trade with neighboring Togo, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Cote d'Ivoire.
Liberia
Liberia's telecommunications sector remains one of the least developed in the region, with internet penetration well below the African average. Post-conflict reconstruction left critical infrastructure gaps that private telecoms operators have been slow to fill. WARDIP2's investment in broadband backbone networks and data center capacity could transform Liberia's digital landscape, creating opportunities for both international telecoms contractors and local firms.
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone has shown strong political commitment to digital transformation, including the establishment of a Directorate of Science, Technology, and Innovation. However, actual broadband deployment has lagged ambition. WARDIP2's investment in international connectivity and resilient broadband networks will be critical for connecting Sierra Leone's secondary cities and rural communities to the digital economy.
Regional Impact
Beyond the three target countries, WARDIP2's regulatory harmonization work with WAEMU and ECOWAS creates spillover benefits across the entire West African region. A harmonized regulatory framework for telecommunications reduces barriers to entry for international telecoms companies, lowers the cost of cross-border data flows, and creates larger addressable markets for digital services. Companies already operating in Nigeria, Ghana, or Senegal should monitor WARDIP procurement opportunities as a natural extension of their regional footprint.
What This Means for Contractors
Firms interested in WARDIP2 procurement should take the following steps:
- Register on the World Bank's procurement portal — all major contracts will be advertised through the World Bank's STEP (Systematic Tracking of Exchanges in Procurement) system
- Monitor country-level procurement agencies — each participating country will issue smaller contracts through national systems aligned with World Bank procurement standards
- Build local partnerships — World Bank-financed projects in West Africa increasingly require local content participation; joint ventures with Beninese, Liberian, or Sierra Leonean firms can strengthen bids
- Prepare for multi-country engagements — WARDIP's regional design means some contracts (particularly consulting and regulatory harmonization) may span multiple countries
- Track the ECOWAS and WAEMU regulatory pipeline — the regulatory harmonization framework being developed under WARDIP will determine market entry rules for telecoms operators across the region
Companies with expertise in telecommunications infrastructure, digital public services, cybersecurity, or capacity building in Africa should browse current tenders from World Bank-financed projects and set up alerts for new opportunities in these three countries.
Looking Ahead
WARDIP Phase 2 implementation will unfold over the coming years, with early procurement expected for infrastructure assessment studies, regulatory advisory contracts, and program management support. As the fibre network designs are finalized and environmental and social impact assessments completed, larger works and equipment contracts will follow.
The broader trajectory is clear: West Africa's digital infrastructure gap represents one of the last major untapped markets for telecommunications investment. With $403.5 million committed across seven countries and growing demand for digital services driven by the region's young, urbanizing population, WARDIP is laying the groundwork for a pipeline that will extend well beyond this initial financing. Contractors who position themselves now — through World Bank registration, local partnerships, and sector expertise — will be best placed to capture opportunities as this market opens.
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