Leadership changes and a landmark pact to bridge the continent’s digital divide marked the conclusion of the 7th Ordinary Session of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Conference of Plenipotentiaries on Friday.
Hosted by Nigeria’s Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy alongside the Nigerian Communications Commission, the event saw Nigeria take over the chairmanship of the Conference of Plenipotentiaries for the upcoming institutional cycle. Delegates also elected Zambia’s Kezias Mwale as the ATU’s next Secretary-General.
Highlighting the gathering was the adoption of the 2026 Abuja Declaration on Meaningful Connectivity for Africa. The pact pledges African nations to lower internet costs, increase access to affordable smartphones, and implement technology-neutral regulations to drive economic growth.
Under the agreement, member states will expand broadband infrastructure, bolster cybersecurity and consumer protections, and boost digital literacy, focusing particularly on women, youth, persons with disabilities, and underserved communities.
Addressing the conference, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin outlined enabling policies, affordability, and digital capacity as the essential pillars to close the digital gap. She highlighted a sharp contrast in current access: while mobile broadband reaches 86 per cent of the continent’s population, only 36 per cent of Africans are currently online.
High costs remain a central barrier. Mobile data accounts for roughly 4.2 per cent of monthly household income in parts of Africa, nearly double the Broadband Commission’s target, while fixed broadband can swallow over 15 per cent. Furthermore, Bogdan-Martin expressed concern over $265 million in Universal Service Funds lying dormant across 12 African nations over a 12-month period, funds that could otherwise fund last-mile connectivity.
To tackle device costs, she pointed to schemes like the GSMA Handset Affordability Coalition to help deliver entry-level and refurbished smartphones to consumers, while stressing that digital skills are vital for youth to harness emerging technologies.
Urging governments to embrace technology-neutral policies so that fibre, satellite, mobile, and community networks can coexist, Bogdan-Martin noted: “Technology neutrality makes complementarity possible, unlocking healthy market competition that lowers prices and expands coverage.”
She noted that the ultimate goal of connectivity is to improve daily life and public services. “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.