As Africa prepares for the 2026 International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Conference, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has urged African governments to adopt a unified and technically coordinated position, saying stronger regional collaboration is essential for the continent to shape global telecommunications and digital economy policies.
The call was made on Monday in Abuja by the Executive Vice-Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, while declaring open the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Conference Preparatory Committee meeting.
Maida said the two-day meeting is expected to strengthen continental alignment ahead of ITU 2026, establish practical collaboration mechanisms between conferences and sustain Africa’s technical participation in ITU processes.
He stressed that Africa must prepare collectively to ensure its voice carries greater weight in shaping global telecommunications standards and policies.
“Africa must prepare together, work together and arrive at global forums with solutions that are both coherent and technically compliant,” he said.
According to him, the committee will review the ATU’s activities between 2023 and 2026 and prepare agenda items, resolutions, decisions and recommendations for the 18th Conference of the Union.
Maida identified spectrum management, artificial intelligence governance, data protection, universal access, cybersecurity and digital infrastructure development as key areas requiring stronger regional collaboration.
“No administration can address these challenges effectively in isolation. Our regulatory cooperation must therefore become more continuous, more technical and more institutionalised,” he said.
He added that Africa’s objective is not to oppose global standards but to help shape standards that are technically sound and reflective of the continent’s realities.
The NCC boss also noted that Africa’s influence at international forums would depend less on the size of its delegations and more on the quality of its preparations, the coherence of its positions and the consistency with which they are advanced.
While noting that the forthcoming ATU conference will determine the direction of the continental body, Maida said the ITU conference would shape global telecommunications leadership and priorities.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Nadungu Gagare, described the meeting as critical to advancing Africa’s digital transformation agenda.
He said collaboration among member states had become more important than ever in an era of rapid technological advancement and digital innovation, expressing confidence that the committee’s recommendations would strengthen the union’s capacity to promote inclusive and sustainable digital development across Africa.
The Secretary-General of the African Telecommunications Union, John Omo, said the Conference Preparatory Committee plays a vital role in processing documents and proposals to enable member states to adopt common positions ahead of global meetings.
He disclosed that ATU membership has increased from 49 to 52 countries, while associate membership has risen from 50 to 56, with 18 African academic institutions now participating in the union’s activities.
Omo highlighted progress in broadband development, satellite communications, spectrum coordination, internet governance, rural broadband expansion, standardisation and digital infrastructure resilience.
He, however, expressed concern over irregular financial contributions by some member states, warning that predictable funding remains critical to implementing the union’s programmes.
He also announced that the forthcoming conference will elect members of the Administrative Council and a Secretary-General for the 2027–2031 tenure.
Omo commended Nigeria for hosting the preparatory meeting, which brought together representatives of African countries, academia, industry stakeholders and development partners to discuss the future of telecommunications and the digital economy across the continent.
