Sele Pokima, Head of Administration and Finance at the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA), on Monday called for deepened cross-border cooperation, harmonized regulatory frameworks, and inclusive digital transformation across the continent to bolster Africa’s expanding digital economy.

Speaking during the opening of the Regional ICT Regulators’ Forum under the 8th Cohort of the ICT Policy and Regulation – Institutional Strengthening Programme (iPRIS) in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, Pokima emphasized that regional regulatory bodies must unite to address common digital challenges.

Addressing delegates from national regulatory bodies, regional organizations, and international partners, Pokima noted that modern telecommunications infrastructure and digital platforms operate across borders, necessitating unified policy responses across African trading blocs.

“Building resilient, transparent, and future-proof regulatory institutions requires continuous capacity building and robust peer-to-peer knowledge exchange,” Pokima said.

He highlighted the necessity for regional organizations—including WATRA, the East African Communications Organisation (EACO), and the Communication Regulators’ Association of Southern Africa (CRASA)—to align regulatory frameworks, streamline cross-border market entry, and safeguard consumers in an increasingly interconnected ecosystem.

Pokima added that initiatives like the iPRIS programme provide regulatory authorities with the necessary practical tools to turn technical capacity building into actionable institutional reforms.

The Nairobi forum, organized in collaboration with the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), gathered representatives from national regulatory authorities across Sierra Leone, Mauritius, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Liberia. International partners, including the European Union, the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority, and Stockholm University through the Swedish Programme for ICT in Developing Regions (SPIDER), were also in attendance.

Hosting officials from the Communications Authority of Kenya welcomed delegates, noting that digital transformation across Africa has transitioned from a future aspiration into an active reality. CA representatives emphasized that the central objective for regulators is now ensuring that digital growth remains secure, trusted, and inclusive for all citizens.

Over the course of the Nairobi meeting, delegates are set to deliberate on critical regulatory issues, including 5G deployment, spectrum management, expanding universal access to underserved rural areas, enhancing cross-border cybersecurity resilience, and updating legal frameworks to keep pace with artificial intelligence and emerging digital platforms.

Supported by the European Union and Swedish development entities, the iPRIS programme continues to build institutional capacity and advance responsive, sustainable ICT regulatory standards across Africa.