The West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA) has partnered with the ECOWAS Commission at the recent annual ECOWAS Digital Observatory (ECODOB) to forge stronger digital and cybersecurity frameworks for the region.
    
The partnership, which was inked at a meeting in Praia, Cabo Verde, marked the beginning of a new era of collaboration aimed at enhancing digital infrastructure, data accuracy, and cybersecurity across West Africa.
    
National Correspondents for Indicators (NCIs) from 11 ECOWAS member states, including Benin, Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo, participated in the meeting. This year marked WATRA’s inaugural participation, following a strategic Memorandum of Understanding with the ECOWAS Commission to improve the ECODOB programme.
    
The primary objective of the meeting was to validate data received from NCIs and review the 2023 digital report on telecommunications, ICT, and postal services. Participants engaged in comprehensive discussions on regional telecommunications trends from 2021 to 2023, Internet subscription metrics, and infrastructure mapping, which included West African submarine and terrestrial fiber cable infrastructure, IXPs, and data centers. Postal service indicators, such as coverage areas and financial results, were also reviewed.
    
Executive Secretary of WATRA, Aliyu Yusuf Aboki, said the regional body is dedicated to collaborating with ECOWAS to ensure that the continent’s digital infrastructure meets the highest standards.
    
The meeting resulted in several key recommendations, including shifting focus to Internet subscription metrics, setting up a subcommittee for cybersecurity indicators, harmonising data collection methods, and enhancing collaboration with national regulatory authorities on cybersecurity. Other recommendations involved updating the national terrestrial map annually, including telecommunication tariff indicators, and revamping the ECODOB platform for better data analysis and reporting.
      
Programme Officer for e-government and e-application of the ECOWAS Commission, Ms. Marie Ndé Sene Ahouantchede, expressed gratitude to WATRA for their active participation. “We are optimistic about further fruitful collaborations between the ECOWAS Commission and the Member States to enhance the ECODOB programme,” she said