Abuja Declaration: African countries adopt technology-neutral regulatory framework

Member States of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) have adopted the 2026 Abuja Declaration on Meaningful Connectivity for Africa, aimed at promoting technology-neutral regulation across the continent.

The declaration was adopted at the 7th Ordinary Session of the ATU Conference of Plenipotentiaries (CPL-26), which concluded in Abuja on Friday and was attended by Nairametrics.

Member States across the continent agreed on key decisions that will guide the Union’s strategic, financial, and institutional direction over the next four years.

A key outcome of the conference was the adoption of the 2026 Abuja Declaration on Meaningful Connectivity for Africa.

Under the declaration, Member States committed to expanding meaningful connectivity by promoting technology-neutral regulation, improving access to spectrum and fibre infrastructure, strengthening consumer protection and cybersecurity, and addressing digital affordability, digital literacy, and inclusion, particularly for women, young people, persons with disabilities, and underserved communities.

What they are saying

Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Minister of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, urged African nations to continue strengthening cooperation as they work towards a shared digital future.

• “Every discussion, every decision, every compromise has reflected a shared commitment and belief that Africa’s digital future is stronger when we work together. The outcomes of this Conference are a testament not only to the strength of our institutions but also to the collective determination of the people gathered here.”

He said Member States should continue to work together with purpose, mutual trust, and a shared commitment, ensuring that every African benefits from the opportunities of the digital economy.

The outgoing Secretary General of the African Telecommunications Union, John Omo, said Member States had completed the work of the conference and now have a mandate for the Union’s next phase and a stronger foundation on which to deliver it.

More insights

At the conference, delegates elected Engr. Kezias Kazuba Mwale of Zambia as the next Secretary General of the ATU.

• He secured 21 of the 34 votes cast in the final round.
• Members also elected officials that would serve on the ATU Administrative Council for the next four-year term.
• Algeria also formally transferred the Chairmanship of the Conference of Plenipotentiaries to Nigeria.

In his acceptance remarks, Secretary General-elect Engr. Kezias Kazuba Mwale accepted the responsibility, assuring Member States that his team would strengthen the Union’s impact across the continent.

Get up to speed

On Thursday, the Federal Government officially launched the ATLAS Network, a continental artificial intelligence initiative aimed at accelerating the development of locally relevant large language models across Africa.

According to Tijani, fewer than 2% of Africa’s languages are meaningfully supported by modern AI systems, despite the continent being home to nearly one-third of the world’s languages.

He added that, together with partners across Africa, the ATLAS Network represents the next step in the continent’s AI journey by expanding the initiative into a continental framework.

What you should know

The development comes days after Tijani directed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to defer the implementation or enforcement of their regulations relating to internet platforms, online intermediaries, or other cross-cutting digital economy matters, pending the conclusion of the Ministry’s policy harmonisation exercise.

• The Minister stressed that regulatory coordination is essential to preserving legal certainty while promoting investment, innovation, consumer confidence, and Nigeria’s long-term competitiveness as Africa’s leading digital economy.
• The Ministry clarified that the objective of the harmonisation exercise is not to diminish the statutory mandates of any institution but to ensure that the government speaks with one coherent voice on cross-cutting digital economy issues through a coordinated, predictable, and future-ready regulatory framework.
• Days later, President Bola Tinubu signed the Presidential Executive Order on Virtual Assets Coordination, 2026, establishing a new framework to coordinate the regulation of virtual assets across government agencies as Nigeria seeks to curb fraud while supporting innovation in the digital economy.

The Executive Order, which took immediate effect, established a Virtual Asset Council chaired by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to harmonise oversight of cryptocurrencies, tokenised assets, stablecoins, and other digital assets without creating a new regulator.