ICT ministers and heads of delegation from across Africa have adopted the 2026 Abuja Declaration on Meaningful Connectivity for Africa, a move aimed at narrowing the continent’s growing digital divide.

The declaration was adopted during the Seventh Ordinary Session of the Conference of Plenipotentiaries of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) in Abuja. Under the agreement, member states pledged to make internet access in rural, remote and underserved communities a key priority.

The resolution comes as Africa continues to lag behind the rest of the world in internet access despite steady growth in global digital connectivity. The disparity has continued to limit economic opportunities and social development across the continent.

In a statement endorsed by member states and signed by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, who assumed the role of ATU chairperson for Nigeria, the ministers highlighted the scale of the challenge. The statement said members were “mindful of the fact that global internet usage has reached approximately 68%, and as high as 94% in high-income regions, but internet penetration in Africa stands at just over 38%, the lowest among all ITU regions.”

To address the challenge, the declaration outlines measures focused on boosting internet adoption, expanding digital infrastructure, and improving fair access to digital services. Member states also agreed that reducing the connectivity gap in underserved communities requires coordinated action across the continent.

The chairperson stressed the importance of the commitment, saying: “Affirming that closing Africa’s connectivity and usage gap, particularly in rural, remote and underserved communities, is an urgent continental priority.”

The meeting ended with an appeal to development partners, private sector stakeholders and civil society organisations to support the goals of the AU Agenda 2063 and the Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa through coordinated investments.

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