NCC Pushes Unified African Positions Ahead of ITU PP-26

Nigeria’s Communications Commission hosted the 7th Ordinary Session of the African Telecommunications Union Conference Preparatory Committee in Abuja on July 20, 2026, where Executive Vice Chairman Dr. Aminu Maida called for stronger continental alignment before the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2026 in Doha [1].

Maida warned that fragmented preparation risks diminishing Africa’s voice in global telecommunications governance.

The Abuja sessions gathered regulators from across the continent to develop technically sound common positions on spectrum harmonisation, artificial intelligence governance, data protection, universal access, digital identity and cybersecurity. Maida stated that Africa’s influence will depend on the quality of its preparations rather than delegation sizes and listed three expected outcomes: enhanced alignment for ITU PP-26, practical mechanisms for ongoing collaboration, and sustained technical participation in ITU processes. Almost one billion Africans remain offline despite living within broadband coverage, a usage gap highlighted by Ministry of Communications representative Ahmed Mohammed Alsukun during the opening [5].

On July 21 Maida addressed the Head of Regulators Roundtable themed “Building Africa’s Network Intelligence Ecosystem for Evidence-Based Regulation,” urging systematic exchange of experiences among African regulators to improve evidence-based decisions [4].

The meetings occur as African ministers recently adopted the Algiers Declaration on African Telecommunications Sovereignty and Integrated Connectivity 2026–2030, committing countries to continental infrastructure, data centres, cybersecurity and digital sovereignty. NCC is simultaneously reviewing Nigeria’s National Telecommunications Policy 2000 through stakeholder workshops in Lagos [7] to align domestic rules with emerging technologies and continental frameworks.

These preparatory steps aim to strengthen Africa’s bargaining position with global hyperscalers, satellite operators and equipment vendors at ITU PP-26. Unified positions could influence spectrum pricing, cross-border data rules and AI governance [3] across member states, while coordinated regulatory learning may produce more consistent rules for operators active in multiple markets [6].

Regulators who coordinate early stand to shape outcomes that affect investment flows, infrastructure resilience and consumer access across the continent; those that remain fragmented may see their priorities sidelined in Doha negotiations [8].

“Africa may jeopardize its standing in global telecommunications governance unless nations on the continent enhance collaboration and present unified, technically sound positions at international forums,” said Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission.

Delegates will now refine draft positions through additional ATU coordination meetings before the Doha conference, with further bilateral exchanges such as the recent NCC-NCA session in Accra [2] expected to feed into the continental process.