ABUJA — The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called for stronger collaboration among African countries to boost the continent’s influence in global telecommunications and digital economy policymaking ahead of a key international conference.
The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Aminu Maida, made the call at the 7th Ordinary Session of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Conference Preparatory Committee in Abuja, where stakeholders are aligning Africa’s position for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-26) in Doha, Qatar.
Details of the meeting were contained in a statement issued by the NCC and signed by its Director of Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha.
Maida described the gathering as critical to shaping Africa’s role in global digital governance, stressing the need for unity among member states.
“Africa’s influence in global policy discussions depends largely on the quality of its preparation, coherence of positions and consistency among member states in advancing shared priorities,” he said.
He noted that the preparatory committee plays a central role in harmonising Africa’s perspectives and developing common positions on key issues that will define the future of telecommunications and the digital economy.
The NCC boss urged sustained regulatory cooperation across the continent, particularly in tackling emerging challenges such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data protection, spectrum harmonisation and universal access.
He also emphasised the need for stronger technical participation by African countries in global telecommunications forums where standards and frameworks are developed.
“A stronger African voice in global decision-making must be supported by technical expertise, credible evidence and consistent engagement,” Maida added.
Participants at the session are expected to review ATU’s activities between 2023 and 2026 and develop recommendations and resolutions for consideration at the ATU Conference of Plenipotentiaries.
Maida further highlighted Africa’s growing digital economy and youthful population as key reasons the continent must assert its interests in global digital transformation discussions.
He commended the ATU Secretariat, led by Secretary-General John Omo, for promoting a coordinated African position in international telecommunications engagements.
The NCC reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to supporting regional collaboration through active participation, peer learning and regulatory cooperation as Africa prepares for the ITU conference.
The meeting is expected to strengthen Africa’s alignment and enhance its collective bargaining power in global telecommunications policy processes.
