By:
Nana Appiah Acquaye
ICT
experts from across Africa have concluded a two-and-a-half-week European
training session in Stockholm, Sweden, aimed at strengthening regulatory
capacity, institutional performance, and digital transformation efforts within
their respective countries.
The
programme brought together participants from the Liberia Telecommunications
Authority (LTA), Information and Communication Technologies Authority of
Mauritius, Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), National
Communications Authority (NatCA), Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority
(TCRA), and the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe
(POTRAZ). They were joined by counterparts from the Swedish Post and Telecom
Authority (PTS), SPIDER, and representatives of regional regulatory bodies
including the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA), the
East African Communications Organisation (EACO), and the Communications
Regulators’ Association of Southern Africa (CRASA).
The
training formed part of the 8th iPRIS Cohort European Training Session,
focusing on enhancing participants’ Change Initiatives (CIs) and equipping them
with practical tools and frameworks to address emerging challenges in the
telecommunications sector.
Throughout
the session, discussions and field visits centred on key thematic areas such as
institutional strengthening, regulatory collaboration, cybersecurity
governance, and data-driven decision-making. Participants explored project
management methodologies, including the SERA framework, to support structured
implementation and evaluation of reforms within their institutions.
The
programme also emphasized Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) approaches to
foster more human-centred regulatory practices, alongside strategies to improve
transparency, accountability, and independence in regulatory bodies. Additional
focus areas included broadband mapping tools to bridge connectivity gaps,
spectrum management frameworks to ensure efficient and equitable resource
allocation, and mechanisms for regional harmonisation to support cross-border
cooperation.
Participants
further examined models for public-private collaboration aimed at driving
innovation and accelerating sustainable digital transformation across the
continent.
With
the training now concluded, the cohort is expected to transition into the
implementation phase, applying the knowledge and tools acquired to drive
regulatory reforms, enhance institutional effectiveness, and contribute to
national and regional digital development agendas. The group is scheduled to
reconvene in six months to assess progress and share outcomes from their
respective initiatives.
