Ministers in charge of Telecommunications, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), and Digitalisation from across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) met recently in Freetown for their 20th Ministerial session. The meeting was held in a hybrid format, bringing together participants both physically in Freetown and virtually via online platform, and focused on advancing the region’s digital transformation and deepening regional integration.
The meeting marked the culmination of several days of technical deliberations by experts, whose work helped shape the key issues presented to Ministers. It also reflected a growing recognition across West Africa that digitalisation is central to economic growth, innovation, and inclusion.
Opening the session, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development of Sierra Léone, H.E. Kenyeh Ballay, underscored the broader development impact of digital transformation, noting that investments in digital infrastructure and services are essential to unlocking productivity, improving public service delivery, and creating opportunities for citizens across the region. “This meeting is particularly significant in that our President H.E Rtd. Brigadier Dr Julius Maada Bio holds the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government and Digital Transformation is central to one of HE Four Priority Areas of focus-Unlocking Economic Integration-Bearing in mind our vision of an ‘ECOWAS of People’. A harmonised digital market allows our youth, our entrepreneurs, and our SMEs to trade across borders as easily as they do within their own communities,” she said.
Delivering his speech after Minister Ballay, Mr. Lacina Konè, Director General and CEO of Smart Africa, a key partner of ECOWAS, emphasised that a successful digital transformation must be grounded in regional coordination, policy harmonisation and shared infrastructure. He highlighted the importance of sustaining the momentum of the Cotonou Declaration, where Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to accelerating digital transformation through stronger regional cooperation, aligned policies, and coordinated implementation. In this context, ECOWAS plays a critical role.
In his remarks, Dr. Habib Yaya Bappah, the honourable ECOWAS Commissioner for Internal Services, warmly welcomed participants to the 20th ECOWAS Ministers Meeting on Telecommunications, ICT, and Digitalisation. He expressed gratitude to President Julius Maada Bio, the Government and People of Sierra Leone, for their leadership in hosting the event, emphasised the transformative role of telecommunications, ICT, and the digital economy, and highlighted their potential to drive regional development, foster integration, and unlock new opportunities for growth and innovation across West Africa. He noted the region’s steady progress in modernising policies, laws, and regulatory frameworks, which have positioned the digital sector as a key pillar of economic and social development.
Dr. BAPPAH also underscored concrete regional achievements, including the operationalisation of Cyber/ICT Confidence Building Measures, the establishment of an Information Sharing and Analysis Centre, bilateral roaming agreements, and the consolidation of ECOWAS Common Positions for international spectrum discussions. Institutional and technical advancements, such as the West African Parliamentary Network on Internet Governance, Digital Forensics Laboratories, upgraded national CSIRTs, regional hackathons, and a harmonised e-government strategy, were highlighted as steps toward a more resilient, integrated and secure digital ecosystem.
For H.E. Salima Monorma Bah, Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation of Sierra Léone, West Africa’s digital future depends on our ability to move beyond isolated platforms toward a truly seamless regional ecosystem. She emphasised: “While we have built innovative systems in Sierra Leone, the real challenge lies in integration, ensuring our digital payments and services speak the same language across borders. By aligning our policies on data protection and cybersecurity, and collectively tackling the growing threat of disinformation, we aren’t just connecting technologies; we are securing a resilient and inclusive digital economy for every citizen in the ECOWAS region.”
