By Akande Faith Olajumoke
As part of their partnership to create stronger digital and cybersecurity frameworks for the region, the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA) and the ECOWAS Commission recently held the annual ECOWAS Digital Observatory (ECODOB).At a conference in Praia, Cabo Verde, the partnership was signed, ushering in a new phase of cooperation with the goal of improving cybersecurity, data accuracy, and digital infrastructure throughout West Africa.Attending the meeting were National Correspondents for Indicators (NCIs) from eleven ECOWAS member states: Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Benin, Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Liberia, Nigeria, and Ghana. After signing a strategic Memorandum of Understanding with the ECOWAS Commission to enhance the ECODOB program, WATRA began participating this year.
The meeting’s main goals were to verify information from NCIs and examine the 2023 digital report on postal, ICT, and telecommunications services. The participants held in-depth talks about Internet subscription metrics, infrastructure mapping (including data centers, IXPs, and submarine and terrestrial fiber cable infrastructure in West Africa), and regional telecommunications trends from 2021 to 2023. A review was also conducted of postal service indicators, including financial results and coverage areas.In order to guarantee that the digital infrastructure of the continent satisfies the highest standards, WATRA Executive Secretary Aliyu Yusuf Aboki stated that the regional organization is committed to working with ECOWAS.
The meeting produced a number of important recommendations, such as reorienting the focus to Internet subscription metrics, forming a subcommittee dedicated to cybersecurity indicators, standardizing data collection techniques, and improving coordination with national cybersecurity regulatory authorities. Improvements to the ECODOB platform for enhanced data analysis and reporting, as well as an annual update to the national terrestrial map with telecom tariff indicators, were suggested.
Ms. Marie Ndé Sene Ahouantchede, the ECOWAS Commission’s programme officer for e-government and e-application, thanked WATRA for their proactive involvement. “We have high hopes for more productive partnerships between the Member States and the ECOWAS Commission to improve the ECODOB program,” she stated.