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Event Background
EVENT
Workshop 1: The Demand for Digital Infrastructure and Digital Public Infrastructure
Digital Infrastructure Introductory Workshop Series
Workshop 1: The Demand for Digital Infrastructure and Digital Public Infrastructure
21 January

2026

TIME: 21 January 2026, 22:00 - 00:00 (GMT+8)

LOCATION: Virtual

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SUMMARY

Workshop Series

The digital economy, the fastest growing sector worldwide and a crucial driver inclusive and sustainable development, depends on digital infrastructure to support it. However, there is limited knowledge of digital infrastructure and how governments in developing countries can best support its development to gain a competitive advantage.

The four-part virtual Digital Infrastructure Introductory Workshop Series will examine digital infrastructure’s role in economic development strategies, how to prioritize and finance it, and keys to managing associated risks. Workshops in the series will feature high-level speakers, including ministers from emerging markets, distinguished scholars, private sector representatives, and development practitioners.

Certificate

Participants attending the workshop series will receive a certificate for each session.

Workshop One: The Demand for Digital Infrastructure and Digital Public Infrastructure

The first session will introduce the key foundational concepts and differences between digital infrastructure and digital public infrastructure, essential for identifying connectivity and other digital service gaps, particularly in rural areas. It will examine both the supply and demand sides of digital infrastructure and stakeholder responses and highlight the need to prioritize and finance the sector as a critical tool for promoting sustainable economic development.

AGENDA
SPEAKERS
Zhongjing Wang
Zhongjing Wang
CEO, MCDF
<p>Mr. Zhongjing Wang is the inaugural CEO of the Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance (MCDF). Previously, he led the Interim Secretariat that established the multilateral finance facility. A strong advocate for high-quality connectivity infrastructure, he champions diversity, transparency, and innovation. Before MCDF, he served as Director-General at China’s Ministry of Finance, overseeing cooperation with multilateral and bilateral development partners and an annual lending portfolio of about USD 7 billion. He has served on boards of major international financing institutions. Mr. Wang holds an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School and an LL.B from Peking University.</p>
Ivan Rossignol
Ivan Rossignol
Senior Advisor on Digital Infrastructure, MCDF
<p>Ivan Rossignol works as a senior advisor to multilateral banks, governments, and consulting firms. He focuses on digital infrastructure, competitiveness and growth strategies, cities and cluster approaches. Ivan’s recent consulting assignments include defining the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank’s Digital infrastructure strategy, chairing the global working group on digital infrastructure risks, and providing expert advice on digital infrastructure financing at the G20 under the Indonesia and India presidencies in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Ivan is a former director at the World Bank, where he spent 24 years advising governments on economic development, growth opportunities, and competitiveness, mostly in South Asia and Africa. He helped found the World Bank competitiveness practice and was its first Chief Technical Specialist (Director). While at the World Bank, Ivan also worked as Country Director of Sri Lanka and Maldives, was selected (not appointed) as Country Director for Afghanistan, worked as Acting Global Director of Practice for Trade and Competitiveness, manager of the Trade and Competitiveness practice in South Asia, and managed the World Bank country office in Egypt (2006). Ivan also worked for COMESA as a World Bank secondee (2000). He has lived in several African countries as well as in India. He has taught development economics as an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University, the University of Edinburgh, and as a Honorary Professor at Heriot-Watt University. He has delivered lectures at Harvard University and Cambridge University. Ivan published several articles on competitiveness. More recently, he published a financial method to evaluate the cost of natural capital (2022) and a Compendium on Digital Infrastructure Financing (2022 @G20).</p>
Hon. Dr. Bosun Tijani
Hon. Dr. Bosun Tijani
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Nigeria
<p>Dr. Bosun Tijani is the&nbsp;Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Federal Republic of Nigeria. He is an accomplished entrepreneur and business leader and a pioneer in the African startup ecosystem, having been instrumental in driving innovation and fostering the growth of tech startups across the continent.</p> <p>He is the co-founder and former CEO of Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB), a leading pan-African technology and innovation center with presence in Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, and Namibia. Founded in 2010, CcHUB has played a pivotal role in nurturing startups through mentorship programs, funding initiatives, and access to essential resources.</p> <p>Dr. Tijani is an exemplary scholar who holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Jos, a master’s degree in Information Systems and Management from the University of Warwick, and a doctorate degree in Innovation and Economic Development from the University of Leicester. He is also an adjunct professor at the Wits School of Governance, South Africa.</p> <p>He has served as a member of the UK Advisory Committee on Digital Access Africa, a committee member for NESG on Science and Technology, and a member of the Expert Advisory Group to the European Commission on mainstreaming technology and innovation in the relationship between Europe and Africa.</p>
H.E. Hon. William Kabogo Gitau
H.E. Hon. William Kabogo Gitau
E.G.H., Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy, Kenya
<p>Hon. William Kabogo Gitau, EGH, is the Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy of the Republic of Kenya. He is the pioneer Governor of Kiambu County, Kenya, a role in which he demonstrated visionary leadership and business acumen, leading to the County’s recognition as the second-best performing county in revenue collection in the 2016-2017 financial year.</p> <p>Prior to being elected Governor, Hon. Kabogo served two terms as Member of Parliament for Juja Constituency, as Chief Executive Officer for Toto Industries, and as an auditor in the Office of the Auditor General. While in Parliament, he was ranked fifth nationally for the effective utilization of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocations.</p> <p>Hon. Kabogo holds a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) degree in Accounting and Finance from Punjab University in India. He also has additional certifications in accounting and audit.</p>
Darío Genua
Darío Genua
Secretary of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Argentina
<p>Darío Genua is the current Secretary of Innovation, Science, and Technology of Argentina. He was appointed to this role after previously serving as a director at Telecom Argentina. With a diverse career in technology consulting, business management, and strategic leadership, Genua has accumulated extensive experience in both the private and public sectors. Before becoming Secretarry, he founded OpenAgro S.A., an investment company focused on trust fund management, which he has led since 2001. Genua holds a degree in business and economics from the Catholic University of Argentina and is a certified SAP FI/CO consultant. His expertise spans ERP implementations, SAP solutions, and driving innovation within Argentina’s tech and science sectors.</p>
Ajay Bhushan Panday
Ajay Bhushan Panday
Vice President, Investment Solutions, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
<p>Ajay Bhushan Pandey is Vice President, Investment Solutions. In this capacity, he provides leadership and oversees three key departments: the Sectors, Themes, and Finance Solutions Department (STF); the Sustainability and Fiduciary Solutions Department (SFD); and the Portfolio Management Department (PMD). Prior to joining AIIB in April 2025, he served in prominent leadership roles within the Government of India for over three decades. He played a pivotal role in shaping India’s digital and financial infrastructure through transformative initiatives such as Aadhaar, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN), and the National Infrastructure Pipeline. His unique ability to integrate technology, policy, and infrastructure has enabled him to design and implement comprehensive strategies that combine innovative financial policies, legislative frameworks, and effective project management. As India’s Finance Secretary, he played a central role in shaping four national budgets and launching critical programs, including the National Monetisation Plan and the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development. His policies encouraged foreign and private investments, including sovereign wealth funds and pension funds, into infrastructure, green energy, and electric mobility. As the CEO of Aadhaar, Pandey expanded the platform to cover 1.2 billion Indians, significantly boosting financial inclusion and reducing leakages in government welfare programs. He also successfully defended Aadhaar’s legal and privacy frameworks before the Supreme Court of India, ensuring its continued role as a cornerstone of India’s digital identity ecosystem. As Chairperson of India’s National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA), Pandey elevated auditing and accounting standards to global benchmarks, strengthening institutional trust and channeling sustainable investments into India’s economy. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Minnesota, USA, and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, India. Pandey is from India.</p>
David Eaves
David Eaves
Co-Deputy Director and Associate Professor in Digital Government, Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, University College London
<p>David Eaves is Co-Deputy Director and Associate Professor in Digital Government at the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose.</p> <p>David teaches and writes on digital era public administration, digital transformation, and the governance of digital public infrastructure. David co-founded <a href="https://www.teachingpublicservice.digital" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Teaching Public Service in a Digital Age</a>, which brings together faculty from around the world to co-design and share an open licensed curriculum on how to teach the minimum needed digital competences for future public leaders. These materials are used by hundreds of faculty members in over 60 universities across 30 countries.&nbsp;</p> <p>His work on digital public infrastructure - including establishing <a href="https://dpimap.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the digital public infrastructure map</a> - is used by researchers, donors, investment banks, and countries around the world.</p> <p>David has taught or advised senior government officials from Brazil, South Africa, Singapore, India, and the United States, among others. In 2024, he was appointed by the United Kingdom (UK) Ministry of the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology to <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/tech-experts-to-shape-government-digital-vision-to-drive-innovation-and-boost-public-services" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a 12-person expert advisory committee</a> chaired by Baroness Fox and CDDO Chair Paul Willmott to help advise on a 10-year digital strategy for the UK government.</p>
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AUDIENCE

The workshop is tailored for officials of ministries of information and communications technology, digital economy, digital infrastructure, finance, planning, agriculture, and rural development and relevant regulatory authorities, particularly those from developing countries. Staff from International Financial Institutions (IFIs), digital infrastructure companies, project developers, and developing country financiers working in the sector, as well as other interested stakeholders, are also encouraged to participate.

FORMAT

The workshop will be held virtually. Presentations, case studies, and discussions will be conducted in English, with simultaneous translation in Spanish and French.

Participants will engage through small group discussions, quick-answer apps, and question and answer sessions at the end of each panel discussion.

Video recordings of select workshop content will be uploaded on the MCDF website.

ORGANIZING PARTNERS

Jointly organized by the Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance (MCDF), African Development Bank, CAF - Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and World Bank Group.

MODERATOR AND STRATEGIC LEAD

Ivan Rossignol, Senior Advisor on Digital Infrastructure, MCDF

CONTACT

If you would like to learn more about the Digital Infrastructure Introductory Workshop Series or get in touch with the IFI co-organizers, please contact MCDF’s Ms. Jenny Lou Fernandez jenny.fernandez@themcdf.org