By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The African Union Commission
(AUC) and the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) have
discussed areas of cooperation to advance Africa’s digital inclusion agenda,
with a focus on expanding access to digital devices, promoting meaningful use
of technology and addressing linguistic barriers.
The discussions took place
during a bilateral meeting between H.E. Lerato D. Mataboge, Commissioner for
Infrastructure and Energy at the African Union Commission, and Vivek Badrinath,
Director General of the GSMA, on the margins of the ITU Plenipotentiary
Conference 2026 (PP-26).
The meeting also focused on
the implementation of the outcomes of the sixth session of the African Union
Specialised Technical Committee on Communication and ICT (STC-CICT-6) and
preparations for the African Union’s 2027 Theme of the Year.
The proposed theme, “AU at
the Dawn of its 25th Anniversary: Leveraging the Full Potential of SAATM and
New Technologies for Continental Integration,” seeks to highlight the role of
new technologies in advancing continental integration.
During the engagement, both
sides explored opportunities to strengthen cooperation in ensuring that digital
opportunities are accessible to all Africans, particularly through improved
access to digital devices, greater digital participation and efforts to
overcome language barriers that limit technology adoption.
The African Union
Commission’s Department of Infrastructure and Energy said it values strategic
partnerships and collective efforts in advancing Africa’s digital
transformation and building an inclusive, connected continent.
