Meeting Of Experts from Member States in Preparation for the 19th Meeting of ECOWAS Ministers in Charge of Telecommunications / ICT / Digitalisation and Postal Services

Experts from the Member States of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are meeting from 02 to 03 October 2024 in Cotonou, Benin, ahead of the 19th Meeting of ECOWAS Ministers in charge of Telecommunications, ICT and Digitalisation. The purpose of this technical meeting is to review the progress of programmes and projects conducted and facilitated by the ECOWAS Commission for the development and harmonisation of the telecommunications/ICT sectors, and to approve the ECOWAS digital sector development strategy for the period 2024-2029, as well as other documents, with a view to their adoption by the 19th Meeting of ICT Ministers, which will take place on Friday 04 October 2024.

About forty experts and technicians from the Member States, the ECOWAS Commission and partner institutions such as GIZ, the World Bank and the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA) are taking part in this 2-day technical meeting, which began on Wednesday 02 October 2024 in Cotonou, Benin, and which is being organised by the ECOWAS Digital and Posts Directorate.

More specifically, this meeting will enable the experts to approve the digital sector development strategy document for the ECOWAS region for the period 2024 – 2029, examine and finalise the report on the implementation of Regulation C/REG.21/12/17 on roaming on public mobile communications networks in the ECOWAS region and the recommendations contained therein to speed up the pace of implementation.

They will also have to examine the 2023 Digital Report for West Africa compiled by the ECOWAS Commission and finalise the document on the implementation of cybersecurity confidence-building measures in the region, with a view to their adoption by the 19th Meeting of ICT Ministers which will take place on Friday 04 October 2024.

The opening ceremony of this meeting was marked by a series of speeches. These began with a welcome address by H.E. Amadou DIONGUE, the ECOWAS Resident Representative, who took the floor and welcomed participants on behalf of H.E. Dr Omar Alieu TOURAY, President of the ECOWAS Commission, and Commissioner Sediko DOUKA, who is in charge of Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalisation at ECOWAS.

Mrs Folake OLAGUNJU, Acting Director of the ECOWAS Digital Economy and Posts, spoke about the objectives of this technical meeting, before adding that: ‘The ECOWAS Commission remains steadfast in its commitment to digital transformation and is striving to improve tailor-made solutions that meet our unique needs and challenges. We deeply appreciate the support of our valued partners, including the German Federal Foreign Office, GIZ, the Global e-Expertise Forum, the European Union and the World Bank.’

The meeting of experts was officially launched by Engineer Saidu Adamu WAKIL, Representative of the Minister in charge of Telecommunications, Innovation and the Digital Economy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, current Chairman of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers in charge of Telecommunications, ICT and Digitisation. In his speech, he pointed out that the vision of an integrated and transparent communications network in the ECOWAS region is not just a dream, it is an achievable goal. ‘Eliminating high roaming costs and promoting affordable connectivity are essential to boost trade, encourage tourism and facilitate social interaction between our peoples. As experts, we have a responsibility to explore innovative frameworks and policies that will encourage collaboration between Member States, paving the way for a unified telecommunications environment that will benefit us all,’ said WAKIL.

For the record, the ultimate goal of ECOWAS and its Member States is to foster an inclusive digital economy throughout the region, focusing on elements that include: a favourable policy, legal and institutional environment; the development of broadband infrastructure; affordable and non-discriminatory access to ICT services for all, particularly to the Internet and mobile telephony; the development of transformative and innovative services and relevant content; cybersecurity and the fight against cybercrime; capacity building; and the digital transformation of the postal sector and its operations.

To this end, the ECOWAS Commission has implemented various initiatives in programmatic areas such as the harmonisation of policies and regulations, the development of broadband infrastructures, cybersecurity and the fight against cybercrime, and the coordination of the regional digital transformation.