Morganable Technology/Digital Economy
Stakeholders at the event described the declaration as a critical step toward bridging Africa’s persistent digital divide, which continues to limit economic opportunities for millions across the continent
kaNo —
African countries have adopted a sweeping new plan aimed at reducing the cost of internet access and smartphones while promoting inclusive digital growth across the continent.
The move experts say could significantly accelerate Africa’s participation in the global digital economy.
The commitment is contained in the 2026 Abuja Declaration on Meaningful Connectivity for Africa, endorsed at the close of the 7th Ordinary Session of the African Telecommunications Union Conference of Plenipotentiaries held in Abuja on Friday.
The declaration outlines a comprehensive framework for improving digital affordability, expanding broadband infrastructure, strengthening consumer protection and cybersecurity, and promoting digital literacy particularly among women, youths, persons with disabilities and underserved communities.
Zambia’s Kezias Kazuba Mwale emerged as the Secretary-General-elect of the union after four rounds of voting, while Nigeria assumed the chairmanship of the Conference of Plenipotentiaries for the next institutional cycle.
Stakeholders Describe Event As A Step Toward Bridging Digital Divide
Stakeholders at the event described the declaration as a critical step toward bridging Africa’s persistent digital divide, which continues to limit economic opportunities for millions across the continent.
Speaking during the conference, the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, said Africa already has a clear roadmap for achieving universal connectivity, identifying enabling policies, affordability and digital capacity as the three pillars required to close the digital gap.
“While millions have yet to benefit from digital transformation, we know what it takes to close the gap,” she said.
Bogdan-Martin emphasised the importance of adopting technology-neutral policies that allow different connectivity solutions such as fibre optics, mobile networks, satellite services and community-based networks to complement one another.
“Technology neutrality makes complementarity possible, unlocking healthy market competition that lowers prices and expands coverage,” she said.
Large Portion Of Africans Remain Offline
Despite significant progress in infrastructure rollout, she noted that a large proportion of Africans remain offline.
While mobile broadband coverage now reaches about 86 per cent of the population, only 36 per cent of Africans are actively using the internet.
She attributed this gap largely to affordability challenges, revealing that mobile data costs around 4.2 per cent of monthly household income in parts of Africa nearly double the affordability benchmark set by the Broadband Commission.
The ITU chief also raised concerns over the underutilisation of funds earmarked for expanding connectivity. She disclosed that at least $265m held in Universal Service Funds across 12 African countries remained unused within a 12-month period.
According to her, these funds could play a crucial role in extending connectivity to rural and underserved communities if deployed effectively.
Bogdan-Martin highlighted ongoing global efforts to improve device affordability, including initiatives such as the GSMA Handset Affordability Coalition, which aims to increase access to low-cost and refurbished smartphones.
She stressed, however, that access to devices alone is not sufficient, underscoring the need for investments in digital skills to ensure meaningful participation in the digital economy.
“People don’t wake up in the morning asking for artificial intelligence; they want better health care, better education, better jobs and better public services,” she said
“Regulatory modernisation is not a technical footnote to connectivity policy. It is the enabler on which everything else depends,” she said.
Citing the ITU’s Global Connectivity Report 2025, she explained that countries that had implemented modern regulatory frameworks including technology-neutral licensing, fair spectrum pricing and infrastructure sharing recorded significantly higher levels of 5G coverage compared to those that had not.
According to her, such countries achieved coverage levels approximately 40 percentage points higher, underscoring the impact of policy reforms on technological advancement.
Mbugua also pointed to the success of the World Bank’s Regional Digital Integration Programme in West Africa, where regulatory improvements contributed to an increase in broadband penetration from 26 per cent to 36 per cent within three years.
At the same time, the cost of one gigabyte of data in participating countries declined from about 10 per cent to roughly five per cent of monthly income, demonstrating the direct benefits of policy reforms on affordability.
She called on African governments to modernise satellite licensing frameworks and ensure regulatory parity among service providers, warning that inconsistent rules could discourage investment.
“When rules diverge, when one class of provider faces a lighter fiscal and licensing burden for delivering the same service, capital notices and flows towards regulatory certainty, not away from it,” she said.
Outgoing Secretary-General of the African Telecommunications Union, John Omo, presented the ministerial declaration adopted at the conference, noting that it covers a wide range of issues critical to Africa’s digital future.
Omo said the declaration also calls for stronger collaboration among key stakeholders, including the African Union Commission, the ITU, regional economic communities, industry players, academia and civil society.
He stressed the urgency of coordinated action, urging member states and private sector partners to work together to close the continent’s connectivity gap and advance the Sustainable Development Goals.
At the closing ceremony, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, called for sustained collaboration among African countries to translate the conference’s resolutions into tangible outcomes.
“Every discussion, every decision, every compromise has reflected a shared commitment and belief that Africa’s digital future is stronger when we work together,” he said.
Tijani emphasised that the success of the declaration would depend on continued cooperation, mutual trust and a shared commitment to inclusive growth.
“The decisions we have taken over the past two days will only achieve their intended impact if we continue to work together with purpose, mutual trust and a shared commitment to ensuring that every African benefits from the opportunities of the digital economy,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Secretary-General-elect of the African Telecommunications Union, Kezias Kazuba Mwale, pledged to lead the organisation with a strong sense of responsibility when he assumes office on January 1, 2027.
“I accept this mandate with a deep sense of responsibility, mindful that leadership is not a privilege to be enjoyed, but a trust to be honoured and carefully guarded,” he said.
As African nations move to implement the Abuja Declaration, analysts say the success of the initiative will depend largely on political will, regulatory reforms and sustained investment in infrastructure.
