Nigeria Takes ATU Conference Chair as Africa Elects New Secretary-General

Nigeria has assumed the chairmanship of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Conference of Plenipotentiaries following the conclusion of the Union’s 7th Ordinary Session (CPL-26) in Abuja, where member states also elected Zambia’s Engr. Kezias Kazuba Mwale as the organisation’s next Secretary-General.

The week-long conference brought together ministers, telecommunications regulators, policymakers and industry leaders from across Africa to chart the Union’s strategic direction for the next four years.

The leadership election, one of the conference’s major highlights, was keenly contested and required four rounds of voting before a winner emerged.

Mwale, the current ATU Director for Spectrum, secured 21 votes in the final ballot to defeat South Africa’s Cynthia Leungo Lesufi, who polled eight votes, and Cameroon’s Ottou Valéry Hilaire, who received five votes. Tunisia’s Faysal Bayouli and Congo Republic’s Luc Missidimbazi were also in the race.

Only 34 of the Union’s 52 member states participated in the election.

Nigeria formally took over the chairmanship of the Conference of Plenipotentiaries from Algeria, which had led the body since the previous conference held in Algiers in 2022.

Assuming the chairmanship on behalf of Nigeria, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, urged African countries to sustain the collaborative spirit that characterised the conference, stressing that deeper cooperation remained essential to achieving the continent’s digital aspirations.

According to him, the resolutions adopted in Abuja reflected a shared determination among member states to strengthen Africa’s digital future through collective action.

“The outcomes of this Conference are a testament not only to the strength of our institutions, but also to the collective determination of the people gathered here,” Tijani said.

He added that the decisions reached during the conference would only translate into tangible benefits if countries continued to work together with trust and a common commitment to ensuring that the opportunities of the digital economy reached every African.

The minister also reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to work with other member states to accelerate digital infrastructure development, expand digital skills, encourage responsible innovation and strengthen Africa’s influence in global digital policy.

A major policy outcome of the conference was the adoption of the Abuja Declaration on Meaningful Connectivity for Africa, which commits member states to promoting affordable and universal digital access across the continent.

The declaration sets out priorities including broadband expansion, improved access to spectrum and fibre infrastructure, technology-neutral regulation, digital inclusion, cybersecurity, consumer protection, digital literacy, capacity building and sustainable financing for digital development.

It also calls for stronger collaboration among the African Union Commission, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), regional economic communities, development partners, industry, academia and civil society to advance meaningful connectivity and support the Sustainable Development Goals.

The conference further elected 25 countries into the ATU Administrative Council for the next four-year term.

West Africa will be represented by Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo. Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia will represent North Africa, while Southern Africa’s representatives are Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Eastern Africa secured four seats through Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, while Central Africa will be represented by Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In his acceptance speech, Mwale pledged to provide transparent and inclusive leadership, describing his election as a mandate to serve the entire continent.

“This victory is not mine alone, nor does it belong to any one nation. It belongs to every member state represented here today and to every African who believes in the transformative power of digital technologies to improve lives and create opportunities for our people,” he said.

Quoting an African proverb, the Secretary-General-elect urged member states to remain united in pursuing the continent’s digital transformation.

“If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together. Today’s election has produced one Secretary-General, but our shared commitment remains one,” he said.

Mwale said his administration would focus on expanding affordable connectivity, strengthening digital inclusion, promoting innovation, enhancing cybersecurity and building digital skills across Africa through closer collaboration with governments, regulators, the private sector, academia and development partners.

He will officially assume office on January 1, 2027, while the outgoing Secretary-General, John Omo of Kenya, will remain in office until the end of his tenure to oversee the transition.

Omo said the conference had provided the Union with a clear roadmap for the next four years and urged member states to maintain the unity and cooperation demonstrated throughout the Abuja meeting.

Delegates also commended Nigeria for successfully hosting the conference, describing the event as another demonstration of the country’s growing role in driving regional cooperation and Africa’s digital transformation.