By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The African
Telecommunications Union (ATU) and GSMA Africa have convened a Digital Africa
Summit Workshop in Abuja, Nigeria, to examine the factors limiting internet
adoption across the continent despite widespread mobile broadband coverage.
Held ahead of the Seventh
Ordinary Session of the ATU Conference of Plenipotentiaries, the workshop
focused on the theme, “Advancing Africa’s Digital Future: Data-driven
Insights to Support Connectivity and Regulatory Modernisation.”
Discussions centred on
findings from a recent GSMA report indicating that approximately 63 percent of
Africans live within the coverage of mobile broadband networks but remain
offline.
Participants noted that
expanding network infrastructure alone is insufficient to achieve meaningful
digital inclusion, highlighting the need to address barriers such as the
affordability of internet-enabled devices and data services, digital literacy,
trust in online services and the availability of relevant digital content and
applications.
The workshop also explored
the development of the Digital Africa Index, a GSMA initiative designed to
provide governments and policymakers with broader indicators for measuring
digital progress beyond network coverage.
The index is expected to
help countries identify disparities in digital access and adoption, evaluate
the impact of policies and support evidence-based decision-making to accelerate
digital transformation.
ATU Secretary-General John
Omo opened the workshop, while GSMA representatives Caroline Mbugua, Michaela
Angonius, Kalvin Bahia, Dr. Bienvenu Comlan Agbokponto Soglo and Roddy McGlynn
led discussions on the mobile internet usage gap, regulatory modernisation, the
Digital Africa Index and the role of mobile technology in Africa's digital
economy.
The workshop forms part of
broader efforts by ATU and GSMA to support policy reforms and strengthen
collaboration aimed at achieving inclusive digital connectivity and sustainable
digital development across the continent.
