The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC has called for stronger collaboration among African countries to enhance the continent’s influence in shaping global telecommunications and digital economy policies.
The call was made by the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, at the opening of the 7th Ordinary Session of the African Telecommunications Union, ATU Conference Preparatory Committee in Abuja.
Maida said the meeting was convened to develop Africa’s common position ahead of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-26) scheduled to hold later this year in Doha, Qatar.
He noted that Africa’s influence in global telecommunications policy depends on effective preparation, coordinated positions and sustained collaboration among member states.
According to him, the committee will review ATU activities from 2023 to 2026 and prepare recommendations and resolutions for consideration at the ATU Conference of Plenipotentiaries, while also fine-tuning Africa’s strategy for the ITU conference.
Maida stressed the need for stronger regulatory cooperation on issues such as spectrum harmonisation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital trust, data protection and universal access, adding that these require continuous collaboration beyond periodic meetings.
He also called for greater African participation in international technical committees and standards-setting bodies, noting that the continent’s growing digital economy and expanding connectivity make its contributions increasingly important to global ICT development.
The NCC chief commended the ATU Secretariat, led by Secretary-General John Omo, for promoting a coordinated African voice in international telecommunications forums and reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to supporting regional cooperation through knowledge sharing and active participation in global policy discussions.