GSMA Champions Abuja Declaration, Launches Pan-African AI Initiative to Drive Meaningful Connectivity

The GSMA has thrown its full support behind the Abuja Ministerial Declaration on Meaningful Connectivity for Africa, a landmark agreement by African ministers and heads of delegation at the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Conference of Plenipotentiaries (CPL-2026). This declaration is hailed as a pivotal step in solidifying Africa’s digital future through evidence-based policy, strategic investment, and robust regional collaboration. The initiative underscores a commitment from African governments to foster policies that advance meaningful connectivity, digital inclusion, technology-neutral regulation, resilient digital infrastructure, and the development of locally relevant digital services.

The GSMA’s engagement throughout the conference, including the ATU-GSMA African ICT Regulatory Leaders’ Forum, focused on practical policy advocacy and research. Policymakers and regulators explored how enhanced evidence-based regulation, greater harmonisation, and forward-looking policy frameworks can cultivate an environment conducive to investment, innovation, and sustainable digital growth across the continent. Insights from the GSMA’s Digital Africa Index were leveraged to examine future-ready approaches to satellite regulation, particularly highlighting how technology-neutral licensing can spur innovation while extending connectivity to underserved populations. Caroline Mbugua, Senior Director, Public Policy, Africa, GSMA, emphasised that the declaration signals a shared vision for delivering meaningful connectivity via modern, evidence-based, and investment-friendly policies.

In a significant move to bolster these ambitions, the GSMA, alongside Nigeria’s Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, and other key African ministries and industry partners, has launched ATLAS Umoja AI. This pan-African initiative aims to strengthen collaboration on African language AI development. By pooling expertise, datasets, and best practices, ATLAS Umoja seeks to foster the creation of trusted, scalable AI solutions that authentically reflect Africa’s diverse languages, cultures, and development priorities, thereby accelerating innovation and attracting investment. Dr. Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, highlighted the initiative’s role in building inclusive and locally relevant AI, strengthening digital sovereignty, and creating new economic opportunities.

The launch of ATLAS Umoja AI aligns with the broader objective of closing Africa’s usage gap and expanding meaningful connectivity. Angela Wamola, Head of Africa, GSMA, stated that the initiative will help address key barriers to internet adoption, such as digital literacy and the availability of locally relevant content, by making AI and digital services accessible in everyday languages.

In parallel, the GSMA continued discussions on future-ready regulatory frameworks, including satellite connectivity, spectrum policy, and technology-neutral licensing, drawing on the GSMA Satellite Regulatory Playbook. These efforts, coupled with the Abuja Declaration and ATLAS Umoja, represent a concerted push towards enhanced meaningful connectivity and accelerated digital transformation across Africa.

Separately, Airtel Nigeria has secured a 10-year renewal of its spectrum licence from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). This renewal provides regulatory certainty for continued investment in network expansion, capacity upgrades, and improved customer experience, reinforcing Airtel’s commitment to bridging Nigeria’s digital divide. Sunil Taldar, chief executive officer, Airtel Africa, affirmed that the renewal provides the confidence to invest further in Nigeria’s digital infrastructure and support the nation’s digital economy agenda.

The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has also called for intensified collaboration among government, regulators, operators, and stakeholders to accelerate efforts in bridging Nigeria’s digital divide and strengthening its digital economy. Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of ALTON, noted that while the sector has seen remarkable growth, challenges such as multiple taxation, inconsistent Right-of-Way policies, infrastructure vandalism, and foreign exchange volatility continue to impede future investments.

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