West African alliance proposed for digital sovereignty and domain name domestication
During the 4th International Exhibition of Digital Economy Professionals of UEMOA SIPEN-UEMOA 2026, held in Ouagadougou on July 14 and 15, discussions focused on digital sovereignty and the domestication of domain names in Africa. Wilfried Quenum, CEO IT-NUM and President of FGI Benin, highlighted the importance of a proposed West African Alliance for Domain Names AOAN. This initiative aims to unite countries in developing domain names, strengthening capacities, pooling expertise, promoting national Country Code Top-Level Domains ccTLDs in the region, and ensuring regional representation in international forums. Quenum emphasized that individual countries face similar technical and economic challenges in domain name development, making a unified approach essential. He likened it to the global alliance formed to combat COVID-19, where collective action led to solutions. Quenum stressed that domain names are crucial for national identification and sovereignty, serving as an "internet passport" that links websites to specific countries, fostering a secure and trustworthy online environment. He argued against rejecting local digital initiatives due to perceived quality issues, advocating instead for valuing and improving them, much like local cuisine. Quenum also called for shaping internet governance to suit African realities and needs, rather than passively accepting existing structures. He believes that political will, private sector involvement, and user participation are all
