This meeting, which took place on October 4, 2024, in Cotonou, Benin, was preceded by a meeting of NICT experts from member states on October 2 and 3, 2024.The ministerial meeting, chaired by Madame Aurélie ADAM SOULE ZOUMAROU, Benin’s Minister of Digital Affairs, was attended by Commissioner Sediko DOUKA, in charge of Infrastructure, Energy and Digitization at ECOWAS, and the Digital Affairs Ministers of Cabo Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Other member states were also represented.

At the end of the 19th Meeting of ECOWAS Ministers in charge of Telecommunications, ICT and Digitization, the Ministers adopted several key documents, including the ECOWAS Digital Sector Development Strategy 2024-2029, the progress report on the implementation of the ECOWAS Roaming Regulation, and the directive on the adoption and implementation of confidence-building measures in the field of cyber/ICT in the ECOWAS space.

The opening ceremony of this meeting was marked by 3 speeches. Firstly, the welcome address by Commissioner Sediko DOUKA, who, on behalf of H.E. Dr Omar Alieu TOURAY, President of the ECOWAS Commission, thanked Benin, its Head of State and its government for the considerable efforts made to successfully manage regional issues for the well-being and prosperity of the Community’s citizens. According to Commissioner DOUKA:“The telecommunications sector, information and communication technologies (ICT), and the digital economy have the capacity to reshape development, particularly in emerging markets and developing economies, and as a result are revolutionizing the world by supporting virtually all socio-economic activities as a vehicle for integration, sustainable growth, and financial and social inclusion, thus offering attractive prospects and opportunities.”

Following him, Engineer Faruk Yusuf YABO, Permanent Secretary, representing the Federal Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, delivered his Minister’s message in which he recalled that this 19th ministerial meeting came at a crucial time when ECOWAS member states are seeking to improve the fundamental infrastructure that underpins both regional integration and economic growth. “Telecommunications, ICT and digital technologies are no longer just communication tools; they have become the foundation of modern economies, governance systems, education, healthcare and business,” added Engineer Faruk Yusuf YABO.

The proceedings were officially launched by Mrs. Aurèlie ADAM SOULE ZOUMAROU, Benin’s Minister of Digital Affairs and Digitization. According to her, the Cotonou ministerial meeting comes on the heels of the Summit of the Future, held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. This ground-breaking Summit was an opportunity for world leaders to reaffirm a clear message: “digital is not just about technology, but a powerful lever for building a sustainable and inclusive future for nations for the benefit of people. We can therefore connect the wagons of our regional digital development strategy to this reiterated global vision and seize the opportunity to draw inspiration from it to harness its potential to overcome challenges, ensuring that no one is left behind.”

Several recommendations were made at the end of the ministerial meeting. The ECOWAS Commission was invited to facilitate the organization of a workshop for the regional technical committee on roaming in Cabo Verde by the end of November 2024 to enable verification by all NRAs of the bilateral implementation of the Regulations by mobile operators in Cabo Verde.

As cybersecurity is a rapidly evolving issue, ECOWAS member states have been urged to implement the Directive on the adoption and implementation of confidence-building measures in the field of cyber/ICTs in the ECOWAS space without delay upon its publication to strengthen regional cybersecurity. They must also continue to work together to ensure full implementation of the Roaming Regulation by all mobile operators by the end of 2025 and conduct household surveys for the Internet penetration indicator.

More generally, the Ministers recommended that all member states be encouraged to ratify international conventions, notably the African Union Convention on Cybersecurity and the Protection of Personal Data (Malabo Convention) and the Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention, ETS no. 185) and its Protocols.

The meeting was also attended by representatives of partner organizations such as GIZ and the West African Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA).