The Niger National Agency for the Information Society (ANSI) and the Information Telecommunication Union (ITU) released a new publication on Building Smart Villages: A Blueprint. It provides a blueprint for the inclusive digital transformation of disadvantaged rural communities of low- and middle-income countries on a whole-of-government approach as part of broader digital transformation initiatives. The blueprint models the establishment and growth of smart villages as an essential cornerstone to realising the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs). The Smart Village Blueprint was piloted in Niger to establish the Niger 2.0 Smart Villages project which aims to provide broadband infrastructure to improve Internet access in rural and remote parts of the country.