The GSMA has officially endorsed the Abuja Ministerial Declaration on Meaningful Connectivity for Africa, describing it as an important milestone in strengthening the continent’s digital future through evidence-based policy, investment, and regional collaboration.
The endorsement came during the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Conference of Plenipotentiaries (CPL-2026), where the GSMA also announced the launch of ATLAS Umoja AI, a new pan-African initiative to strengthen collaboration on African language AI.
The Abuja Declaration commits African governments to advancing policies that promote meaningful connectivity, digital inclusion, technology-neutral regulation, resilient digital infrastructure, and locally relevant digital services. It also reinforces the importance of collaboration between governments, industry, and development partners to close the continent’s connectivity and usage gaps.
Speaking during the ATU-GSMA African ICT Regulatory Leaders’ Forum, policymakers and regulators explored how stronger evidence-based regulation, greater regulatory harmonisation, and future-ready policy frameworks can create an enabling environment for investment, innovation, and sustainable digital growth across Africa.
“The Abuja Ministerial Declaration sends an important signal that African governments share a common vision for delivering meaningful connectivity through modern, evidence-based, and investment-friendly policy,” said Caroline Mbugua, Senior Director of Public Policy, Africa, at the GSMA. “Its emphasis on digital inclusion, technology-neutral regulation, resilient infrastructure, and stronger regional collaboration reflects the practical policy foundations needed to accelerate Africa’s digital transformation.”
Supporting the ambitions set out in the Abuja Declaration, the GSMA, 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, Awarri, Zindi, Pawa AI, and Mozisha today announced ATLAS Umoja AI.
Designed to complement national AI programmes, ATLAS Umoja will bring together governments, industry, and researchers to share expertise, datasets, and best practice, helping develop trusted, scalable AI that better reflects Africa’s languages, cultures, and development priorities. The initiative aims to accelerate innovation, attract investment, and scale African language AI across the continent.
The launch builds on the momentum of the newly established AI for Good Global Commission. Ministers from Nigeria, Namibia, and Togo, who serve on the Commission, have committed to support ATLAS Umoja, demonstrating how African leaders are turning global ambitions for trusted and inclusive AI into practical regional collaboration.
“Africa’s AI future must reflect Africa’s own languages, communities, and development priorities,” said Angela Wamola, Head of Africa at the GSMA. “ATLAS Umoja AI brings together governments, industry, researchers, and innovators to build African language AI at scale. By making AI and digital services available in the languages people speak every day, the initiative 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.”
Dr. Bosun Tijani, Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy of Nigeria, highlighted Nigeria’s commitment to the initiative.
“Artificial Intelligence will be a defining technology for Africa’s future, but its benefits must be built on our own languages, cultures, and knowledge systems,” Tijani said. “Nigeria is proud to have taken the first step through N-ATLAS and is equally proud to see that vision evolve into the continental ATLAS Umoja AI. By working together with governments, researchers, and ecosystem partners across Africa, we can build AI that is more inclusive, locally relevant, and accessible to millions of people, while strengthening Africa’s digital sovereignty and creating new opportunities for innovation, education, and economic growth.”
Silas Adekunle, Founder & CEO of Awarri, emphasised the importance of local expertise. “Awarri is proud to support ATLAS Umoja AI and contribute lessons from N-ATLAS, which has demonstrated what is possible when African language data, local technical talent, and practical AI applications are brought together. This is an important opportunity to help build AI systems that work for African languages and communities.”
Celina Lee, CEO & Co-Founder of Zindi, added: “Africa’s AI future will be built by the people who best understand its languages, cultures, and communities. Through ATLAS Umoja AI, we have an opportunity to empower local researchers, data scientists, and developers to solve meaningful challenges, strengthen national AI capabilities, and ensure African language AI is developed by Africans, for Africans.”
Alongside the launch of ATLAS Umoja, the GSMA continued discussions with policymakers at the ATU Conference on future-ready regulatory frameworks, including satellite connectivity, spectrum policy, and technology-neutral licensing. Drawing on the GSMA Satellite Regulatory Playbook, discussions explored how modern regulation can encourage investment, expand meaningful connectivity, and support the ambitions of the Abuja Declaration.
Together, the Abuja Declaration, ATLAS Umoja AI, and continued collaboration between governments, regulators, and industry represent an important step towards expanding meaningful connectivity, accelerating digital inclusion, and supporting Africa’s digital transformation.
