The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida has called on all attending African countries to present a united front ahead of the 2026 International Telecommunication Union (ITU) elections.
Addressing participants at the Seventh Ordinary Session of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Conference of Plenipotentiaries in Abuja, where policymakers, regulators and industry leaders met to coordinate Africa’s position ahead of the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference and elections later this year, Maida said “Continental unity is critical to strengthening Africa’s influence in global telecommunications and digital policy”.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Aminu Maida, described the conference as a key platform for building consensus on issues shaping the continent’s telecommunications future and representation in global institutions.
Maida said the upcoming ITU elections underscored the need for African countries to speak with one voice in global telecommunications institutions, noting that a coordinated continental position would strengthen Africa’s influence in international policy discussions.
“Africa’s unity in taking decisions is important as we move forward and secure our place in the telecommunications sector,” Maida said.
Also speaking at the ATU Summit, Vice President Kashim Shettima, represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice President), Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, said the continent’s economic competitiveness would depend on its ability to harness digital technologies through stronger regional collaboration.
He noted that broadband infrastructure, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, satellite communications and secure digital networks are now critical enablers of economic growth, innovation and improved public service delivery.
Hadejia said no African country, regardless of its size or resources, could achieve the continent’s digital ambitions alone, stressing that coordinated action is needed to expand connectivity, strengthen cybersecurity and promote responsible innovation.
“For Africa, this presents both an enormous opportunity and a profound responsibility. No single nation, regardless of its size or resources, can fully realise Africa’s digital ambitions in isolation. Our future depends on collaboration,” he said.
Earlier in his address, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, emphasised the importance of coordinated participation by African countries in global digital policy and innovation ecosystems.
Tijani also highlighted the launch of the APLAS Network, a continental initiative that builds on Nigeria’s N-ATLAS programme to accelerate the development of African large language models and expand the representation of African languages in artificial intelligence.
According to the minister, sustained investment in home-grown innovation is essential to ensure emerging technologies reflect the continent’s realities, cultures and development priorities.
