Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called for stronger collaboration among African countries to enhance the continent’s influence in shaping global telecommunications and digital economy policies.

This call was made by Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, at the opening ceremony of the 7th Ordinary Session of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Conference Preparatory Committee, which was held in Abuja yesterday.

He said: “The meeting was convened to prepare Africa’s common positions ahead of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference PP-26) scheduled to hold in Doha, Qatar, later this year.”

Welcoming delegates from across the continent, Maida described the gathering as an important platform for building consensus on issues that will shape the future of telecommunications and the digital economy.

He noted that Africa’s influence in international forums depended on the quality of its preparation, the coherence of its positions, and the consistency with which member states advanced shared priorities.

According to a statement signed by NCC Director, Public Affairs, Mrs Nnena Ukoha, Maida explained that participants would, during the session, review the activities of the ATU from 2023 to 2026 and prepare recommendations, decisions and resolutions for consideration at the ATU Conference of Plenipotentiaries (CPL-26). The committee will also examine Africa’s preparations for ITU PP-26, where key decisions affecting the future direction of the global telecommunications sector will be taken.

The NCC Chief Executive stressed the need for more continuous and institutionalised regulatory cooperation among African administrations, noting that emerging issues such as spectrum harmonisation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital trust, data protection and universal access require sustained collaboration beyond periodic conferences.