West Africa strengthens digital governance capacity at WASIG 2026 in Freetown
Date: 2026-05-12
By: Robert Kwaku Annor
Freetown
is hosting the 2026 West Africa School on Internet Governance (WASIG), bringing
together more than 30 fellows from across ECOWAS to strengthen skills in
internet governance and digital policy at a time when artificial intelligence,
cybersecurity and digital regulation are reshaping Africa’s digital landscape.
The
training programme, which has been running since 2018, has so far built a
network of over 1,600 participants across all 15 ECOWAS member states,
contributing to the development of a regional pool of digital policy
practitioners.
This
year’s edition places strong emphasis on emerging policy priorities including
AI governance, cybersecurity, digital sovereignty, platform regulation and
internet policy literacy.
Organisers
say the initiative is aimed at equipping participants with practical knowledge
to respond to fast-evolving digital challenges while reinforcing regional
cooperation on internet governance.
The
programme continues with technical sessions ahead of a youth participation
event, where young delegates are expected to engage on digital rights,
innovation and online safety within West Africa’s digital ecosystem.
