Abraham Fiifi Selby
Pan African Youth Ambassadors for Internet Governance, Lead Facilitator
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Abraham Selby, also known as Fiifi Mensah Selby, is a tech policy analyst, Google I.T support Certified and Information Technology professional with over twelve years of working experience in the I.T ecosystem.
Selby is a MPA Graduate at the School of Public Policy (University College London - UCL). He holds a B.Sc. Information and Communication Technology was awarded by KNUST and an Information Technology Diploma from Kumasi Technical University in Ghana. He has passed through the Internet Governance Fellowship from GhanaSIG, AFRISIG, WASIG, INDIASIG, and VirtualSIG. He has been contributing to the UN and Africa Internet Governance Forum and served as a Technical Support team member from the 2020 IGF to Date.
Selby is an ICANN 79 Fellow under the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) fellowship program 2024. Selby is part of the leadership team under the Pan African Youth Ambassadors for Internet Governance (PAYAIG) initiative that seeks to train youth in Internet governance in Africa in different local languages. He has also been contributing to the United Nations Internet Governance Forum as a Technical Support volunteer, Session speaker at various UN and Africa Internet governance forums whiles he has contributed as team member of the UNDESA 2024 E-Governance Survey project under the Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG).
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Networked Africa through Digital Inclusion
This session, Networked Africa through Digital Inclusion addresses the development of an integrated and inclusive digital environment throughout Africa. This discussion will address major challenges to universal internet access, such as infrastructure gaps, socio-economic challenges, and policy fragmentation. It will also focus on youths, gender inclusion, digital literacy, and harmonizing digital policies across African countries. The session will align with Pan-Africanism and Agenda 2063 in support of cross-border collaboration toward digital development to ensure that the marginalized communities, particularly women and rural communities, benefit from reliable and affordable access to the internet. It brings multi-stakeholders, like government, private sector, and civil society representatives, together to develop actionable recommendations that could lead to partnerships for the advancement of digital inclusion in Africa.
This session will be led by PLO Lumumba Foundation Ethiopia Chapter, Pan African Youth Ambassadors for Internet Governance (PAYAIG), Internet Society Ethiopia and Tanzania Chapter.
1. Regional Focus and Collaboration:
What is paramount, however, is that there should be collaboration among different regions of Africa, particularly through regional organizations like the AU and AfCFTA, while the collaboration has been termed very relevant for cross-border gaps about digital infrastructure and connectivity.
2. Sustainability:
It is also important to consider how sustainability and green technology can play into the development of digital infrastructure. This would include the use of renewable energy sources for powering Internet infrastructure in rural areas, at the least, which will be indicative and in support of larger environmental goals under the African Union Agenda 2063.
3. Case Studies and Success Stories:
Include a variety of successful digital inclusion projects that illustrate 'what has worked' across several African countries, demonstrating how they can be replicated. Examples will include public-private partnerships, gender inclusion programs, and cross-border digital policy harmonization.
4. Youth Engagement:
Make sure your message captures that the youth are, in fact, the drivers of Africa's digital future; explain how, therefore, this session is going to be an avenue for active youth participation, particularly concerning digital literacy and entrepreneurial opportunities presented by a digital economy.
5. Pan-African Vision:
-Enhancing "One Africa, One Network" messaging by being more comprehensive in framing: a Pan-African vision, not just about technology, but a socio-economic movement unto itself in the reduction of inequality, the empowerment of the most marginalized, and continental unity.
6. Multilingual Accessibility
- Highlight a call to action toward multilingual digital inclusion, focusing on the development of local African language digital tools and services that can ensure diverse community inclusion across the continent.
7. Outcome-Oriented Approach:
- Point out that this session is outcomes-oriented, and beyond mere discussion, it aims at concrete outputs such as policy recommendations, frameworks for partnerships, and strategies toward scaling successful initiatives across the continent.
From Local Hands to Global Markets: Digitally Empowering African Women Entrepreneurs
In many parts of Africa, women in rural areas face significant challenges in accessing digital tools and platforms, making the digital transformation a daunting journey. This panel will explore how, despite these obstacles, women artisans are overcoming barriers to digital inclusion, using digital tools to transition from local production to global visibility. Rooted in real-life examples, the session will highlight how digital access — when combined with training, e-commerce, and inclusive platforms — can unlock economic opportunity for women in the informal sector.
The digital revolution is reshaping Africa’s economies and societies. Yet women remain underrepresented in the ICT space due to structural inequalities, limited access to resources, and lack of tailored support. This session argues that universal access must go beyond infrastructure and connectivity — it must include digital literacy, culturally relevant tools, and inclusive platforms that support marginalized voices, especially women-led microbusinesses.
Moderated by a multi-award-winning digital entrepreneur from International and African entities, this panel brings together three inspiring voices from North, West, and East Africa, all working on digitally enabling women in different contexts. Together, they will unpack how women are turning mobile phones into marketplaces, using social media to build brands, and navigating e-commerce platforms to export handmade goods. They will also explore the challenges they’ve faced — from lack of infrastructure to gender bias — and how they overcame them to become agents of change.
By spotlighting initiatives that train and equip women with digital skills, and platforms that connect them with suppliers and global customers, this session showcases scalable solutions for inclusive digital transformation. As highlighted in a recent regional dialogue, inclusion is not just a value — it’s a necessity for Africa’s digital future. The panel aims to build not just awareness, but a movement: one where African women don’t just participate in the digital economy — they shape it.
In designing this session, we ensured gender and regional balance to reflect the diverse realities of African women across different geographies and backgrounds, amplifying voices often excluded from formal digital policy spaces.
Session Objectives:
Showcase how access to digital tools and platforms can economically empower women in the informal sector.
Highlight scalable initiatives that connect women artisans to global markets.
Explore policy and community-level actions that can remove digital access barriers for marginalized groups.
Foster cross-regional learning and collaboration among women leaders driving digital transformation.
Identify the challenges faced by women in rural areas in the digital transformation process and the solutions being implemented to overcome them.
Generation Link: Youth-Driven Approaches to Digital Inclusion Advocacy and Policy
The youth of Africa are positioned to seize opportunities and champion the intelligent innovation of technology policies and solutions that enhance access to digital resources on the continent. “Generation Link: Youth-Led Strategies for Digital Inclusion and Policy” will accept proposals from young leaders and policy specialists along with other stakeholders on how they intend to position youth for active participation in digital inclusion advocacy and policy formulation across Africa.
The gap between people who have access to modern information technology and those who do not is so pronounced that it needs urgent action. This session will attempt to outline the aspects of youth inclusivity that could add to the empowerment of sustainable policies and governance in the Africa region policies as it pertains to the digital economy. Addressing the complex nature of achieving digital inclusion, the session will address local content development, digital literacy, policy formulation, entrepreneurship with a strong focus on youth engagement as essential building blocks.
Under the auspices of PAYAIG, this session will tap into the perspectives of initiatives spearheaded by youth aimed at closing the digital divide through innovative digital advocacy, e-learning, civic engagement as well as technology-enabled community empowerment.
Some Of The Specific Focus Areas Are As Follows:
The Role of Youth in Internet Governance Policy Formation: Facilitating the opportunities for youth to actively participate in the formulation of internet governance policies at national and regional levels.
Engagement in E-Learning Activities: Participating and interacting with learning content using various technologies.
Active Participation in Cultural Representation and Creation of Local Content: Promoting the positive online interactions of users with African cultures and languages.
Addressing the Perspectives of Disadvantaged Groups of Youth: Promoting young women, rural youth, and other marginalized groups as active participants and beneficiaries of the digital world.
Creating Opportunities for Young People Initiating New Projects: Supporting emerging social and digital entrepreneurs for their new businesses that advance innovations in their respective regions.
This session will also take a look at how the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy, Agenda 2063, and the Global Digital Compact can align with youth-focused initiatives. Participants will collaborate on developing actionable solutions for scaling successful youth-led digital initiatives, cross-border cooperation, and inclusive public-private partnerships - and by the end of the session, participants will have co-created strategies for advancing youth-led digital inclusion, ensuring young people are empowered to be active participants in Africa’s digital policy and transformation agenda.
Linking Africa: Youth Innovation For Universal And Meaningful Connectivity.
As Africa continues to grow on its path towards digital development, the youth must be seen not just as users of technology, but as pathfinders and drivers of innovation. During the session, "Linking Africa: Youth Innovation for Universal and Meaningful Connectivity," young innovators, policymakers, and other stakeholders come together to critically examine how young people can be at the forefront of universal access and meaningful connectivity on the continent.
Though the digital divide remains a significant barrier, access to the internet is insufficient. During this session, the necessity of constructing an empowering, inclusive, and sustainable digital landscape will be highlighted—one in which African youths are empowered with the tools, competencies, and opportunities to thrive online. Beyond infrastructure, focus will be on the potential of youth-led initiatives to shape the future of digital equity in the domains of content creation, digital literacy, policy-making, and business innovation.
Organized by Pan African Youth Ambassadors for Internet Governance (PAYAIG), the session will bring out the effort of youths' initiatives throughout the continent in digital advocacy, e-learning innovation, and community-based connectivity technologies.
The main areas of theme to be addressed include:
Policy Inclusion: Most effective mobilization of youths' participation in national and regional internet policy formulation.
Digital Literacy & Capacity Building: Empowering young people to have the knowledge and skills to move around in the digital environment safely, imaginatively, and effectively.
Local Content & Language Inclusion: Encouraging indigenous language content creation and context-appropriate digital content.
Gender and Marginalized Youth Empowerment: Bridging the digital divides for young women, rural youth, and marginalized youth, including refugees.
Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: Enabling youth-driven digital startups and social enterprises that address local challenges and opportunities.
In this session, the ways and means through which Agenda 2063, the Global Digital Compact, and the African Union Digital Transformation Strategy can be harmonized with youth priorities will also be explored. Through collaboration and innovation, the participants will go through collective working to co-design implementable solutions that enable cross-border collaborations, inclusive growth, and scalable digital initiatives.
By the end of this session, the hope is to have an Africa where "digital access" is a right that all know about, and young people are not passive recipients but active agents in the shaping of the digital future of the continent.
Strengthening Digital Africa: Tackling Misinformation through Local Content and Multilingualism
Media and local content play a crucial role in shaping digital narratives across Africa. However, challenges such as content moderation, language diversity, and misinformation continue to impact the quality and authenticity of digital information. This session, organized by the PAYAIG Ambassadors at the African IGF, will explore these issues and propose strategies to foster a robust and inclusive digital media landscape.
To discuss the challenges and opportunities in enhancing local content, ensuring effective content moderation, promoting multilingualism, and combating misinformation in Africa's digital space.
Abraham Fiifi Selby
Pan African Youth Ambassadors for Internet Governance, Lead Facilitator
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