GSMA Welcomes Abuja Declaration on Meaningful Connectivity for Africa and Joins Partners to Launch ATLAS Umoja

Backed by the governments of Benin, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria and Togo, Africa Umoja AI builds on the momentum of the AI for Good Global Commission to advance trusted, inclusive AI in Africa, by Africa, for Africa.

ABUJA, Nigeria, July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The GSMA supports the Abuja Ministerial Declaration on Meaningful Connectivity for Africa by Ministers and Heads of Delegation at the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Conference of Plenipotentiaries (CPL-2026), describing it as an important milestone in strengthening Africa's digital future through evidence-based policy, investment and regional collaboration.

The Declaration commits African governments to advancing policies that promote meaningful connectivity, digital inclusion, resilient digital infrastructure, technology-neutral regulation and locally relevant digital services, while strengthening collaboration between governments, industry and development partners to close the continent's connectivity and usage gaps.

Supporting these ambitions, GSMA and partners today announced Africa Umoja AI, a new pan-African initiative to strengthen collaboration on African language AI. Initiative brings together Nigeria's Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Togo's Ministry of Digital Economy and Transformation, Kenya's Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, Namibia's Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, Benin's Ministry of Digital Transformation and Innovation, together with Awarri, Zindi, Pawa AI and Mozisha.

Designed to complement national AI programmes, Africa Umoja will enable governments, researchers and industry to share expertise, datasets and best practice to develop trusted, scalable AI that better reflects Africa's languages, cultures and development priorities.

The initiative builds on the momentum of the recently established AI for Good Global Commission. Ministers from Nigeria, Namibia and Togo, who serve on the Commission, have committed to support Africa Umoja, demonstrating how global ambitions for trusted and inclusive AI are being translated into practical regional collaboration.

Angela Wamola, Head of Africa, GSMA, said: "Africa's AI future must reflect Africa's own languages, communities and development priorities. By making AI and digital services available in the languages people speak every day, Africa Umoja will help tackle two of the biggest barriers to internet adoption – digital literacy and locally relevant content – supporting efforts to close Africa's usage gap and expand meaningful connectivity across the continent."

Throughout ATU Conference, GSMA also engaged policymakers on future-ready regulatory frameworks, including satellite connectivity, spectrum policy and technology-neutral licensing, reinforcing practical policy actions needed to expand meaningful connectivity and accelerate Africa's digital transformation.

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SOURCE GSMA