Guinea bets on digitizing the National Archives to protect memory and boost investment

Written by: Ayman Ragab

Guinea is moving towards digitizing its national archives as a strategic issue aimed at preserving the state's memory, securing administrative documents, and enhancing economic attractiveness, amid a growing trend towards modernizing document management and ensuring reliable and sustainable access.

Digitizing Guinea's Archives

The importance of national archives is not limited to preserving historical documents; they also contain the administrative, legal, and institutional record of the state, making them a fundamental pillar in protecting collective memory. In this context, Guinea is implementing a digital transformation project aimed at preserving these documents and making them accessible in a secure and efficient manner.

Franco Canepa, CEO of Documa Digital, emphasized that the primary goal of digitization is to preserve archives, especially from a security standpoint, while ensuring documents are accessible to everyone. He pointed out that the loss of the national archive is unimaginable given its value to the state.

Support for economic development

Experts believe that digital transformation is not limited to document preservation, but is also an important factor in supporting economic development. It contributes to providing reliable and easily accessible administrative documents, which is essential for attracting investors. Kaniba explained that the success of major projects, such as the “Semando 2040" project, requires the availability of reliable and secure legal and administrative information and documents, which gives investors the necessary confidence to launch their investments.

In contrast, archival professionals welcomed these steps, while calling for greater recognition of the profession. Archivist Salim Diyan stated that the establishment of the Higher School of Information Science and Archives at Kankan University in 2005 contributed to qualifying specialized personnel, but the profession had not received sufficient attention for years. He noted that dedicating a National Archives Week helped increase awareness of its importance, and called for continued state support for the profession and enhanced awareness of its role.

The balance between preserving documentary heritage and modernizing management

Through this project, Guinea seeks to strike a balance between preserving documentary heritage, modernizing administration, and improving the business environment. The success of the digitization process remains linked to the provision of technological investments, the training of specialized personnel, data protection, and the adoption of a public policy that supports the development of national archives.