The West African Telecommunications Regulatory Assembly has called for improved collaboration among its 16 member states to bridge digital divide in the sub region.
Founded in 2002, WATRA is a consultative and collaborative body of Telecommunications Regulators in the West African sub region.
The body aids and advances development of telecommunications in the sub region and ultimately in Africa.
WATRA also collaborates and cooperates with other regional and international organizations towards the attainment of its mission to ensure the rapid development of telecommunications in the sub region.
Aliyu Aboki, the executive secretary of WATRA, at a recent media session said the partnership could be deepened through collaborative regulations and infrastructure development as they remain key drivers to bridging the digital divide and unlocking economic growth in the West African region.
“WATRA serves as a platform for collective action,” Aboki remarked. “By harmonizing telecoms policies and frameworks across member states, we can create a more unified and efficient regulatory environment that fosters investment and innovation.”
WATRA’s recent successes in driving positive change within the region were a key focus of the media session.
According to Aboki, the assembly’s initiatives have contributed to a significant increase in mobile penetration and internet subscriptions within the region.
He pointed out that WATRA facilitated knowledge sharing and problem-solving among member countries, leading to more efficient regulatory practices.
He added that WATRA’s focus on digitizing its own processes serves as a model for member states, promoting innovation and efficiency within the regulatory landscape.
In response to a question about spectrum costs, a key factor influencing service affordability, Aboki acknowledged the challenge.
He emphasized WATRA’s advocacy for “best practices in spectrum pricing” to ensure wider access and encourage investment. Additionally, he pointed out that WATRA promotes infrastructure sharing among telecom operators, a strategy that can significantly reduce infrastructure rollout costs.
“We ensure that countries with more advanced telecoms infrastructure, share their experiences and methodologies with countries that have less telecoms infrastructure. From time to time, we bring different regulators together to discuss issues that will enhance regulations in their regions. For example, some countries do not have policies on co-location of telecoms infrastructure and WATRA was able to help build the capacities of some of the regulators in such a way that it will attract investors to invest in their telecoms infrastructure rollout,” he said.
On what WATRA is doing to address roaming charges across West Africa , the Executive Secretary explained that the roaming regulation was established in 2017, but it has not been fully implemented across regions for different reasons.
He said one of the reasons is the different roaming charges imposed by various regulators across the regions. “Another challenge is the disparity in tariff charges.
Some countries with large number of subscribers like Nigeria charge lower tariff rate, while countries with smaller number of subscribers charge higher tariff rate. What we need in West Africa is a uniform tariff rate for roaming charges. We are working towards bilateral agreement between countries to achieve it”, he stated.
Aboki argued that WATRA’s focus on regional collaboration, infrastructure development, and spectrum cost reduction positions the organization as a key driver of digital transformation in West Africa.
By fostering a more integrated and efficient telecoms landscape, WATRA can unlock the region’s vast digital potential and empower its citizens through improved access to information and communication technologies.
