Africa’s first preparatory meeting for the 2028 World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly (WTSA-28) wrapped up in Accra this week with a sharper continental agenda on artificial intelligence governance, cybersecurity, emergency communications, and the economic regulation of digital platforms, as delegates sought to lock in a unified position for one of the most consequential global technology gatherings of this decade.
The five-day meeting, hosted by Ghana’s National Communications Authority (NCA) in collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) at The Palms Airport City Hotel, brought together ministers, regulators, and technical experts from across the continent under the theme “Strengthening Africa’s Common Position for WTSA-28.”
Communications Minister Samuel Nartey George set the tone in his opening address, framing the gathering as a turning point. “We want to develop a united African proposal that reflects our continent’s needs while aligning with global standards,” he said, repeating the phrase that has become the rallying call of Africa’s digital diplomacy: the continent must become rule-makers, not rule-takers.
A Track Record to Build On
The push for greater influence is backed by recent results. At WTSA-24, Africa submitted 37 proposals and secured adoption of 34, while placing experts from 13 countries in 29 leadership roles across ITU study groups. Those numbers, cited repeatedly during the Accra deliberations, were held up as proof that coordinated continental advocacy translates into real institutional weight.
ATU Secretary-General John Omo stressed that the momentum must be sustained. He reminded delegates that more than 800 million Africans remain offline, and that access alone has not resolved deeper issues of affordability, quality, and trust. “The decisions we make here in Accra will ripple across our digital landscape for years to come,” he said.
Emergency Numbers and AI Top the Agenda
Beyond the headline ambition, the Accra meeting produced specific technical priorities for the WTSA-28 cycle. Delegates advanced proposals for a single standardised emergency telephone number across Africa, compatible with the international codes 112 and 911, as part of a joint ITU-ATU workshop running alongside the main preparatory sessions. Participants framed the initiative as foundational infrastructure for public safety and cross-border integration.
The agenda also addressed the governance of artificial intelligence, the resilience of submarine cable infrastructure, cybersecurity frameworks, the regulation of Over-the-Top (OTT) services such as messaging and streaming platforms, and affordable broadband access through infrastructure sharing. Speakers consistently called for standards that remain technology-neutral and flexible enough to accommodate new entrants rather than entrenching dominant incumbents.
Seizo Onoe of the ITU’s Telecommunication Standardisation Bureau offered support from the global body, saying that ITU standards and capacity-building must create firm foundations for the digital future Africa seeks.
Ghana’s Own Stake
For Ghana, the week served dual purposes. The country used the platform to seek support for the re-election of NCA Director-General Rev. Ing. Edmund Yirenkyi Fianko to the ITU Radio Regulations Board (RRB) at the next ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, scheduled for Doha, Qatar in November 2026. Officials also highlighted Ghana’s contributions through West African connectivity infrastructure and its Type Approval and Conformance Laboratories as evidence of growing national technical capacity.
The deliberations in Accra are expected to feed directly into Africa’s Common Positions, the formal mechanism through which the continent will seek to shape global information and communications technology standards at WTSA-28 in a way that reflects African development priorities.
