On November 28th, 2024, the 16th Meeting of Focal Points of National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) on the implementation of the ECOWAS Regulation on Roaming concluded in Praia, Cabo Verde. The objective of the two-day meeting was to evaluate the progress made with the implementation of Regulation C/REG.21/12/17 on Roaming on Public Mobile Communications Networks in the ECOWAS Space. This Regulation aims to reduce the tariffs Community citizens pay for mobile voice, SMS, and internet services when traveling within the region. Its implementation is intended to consolidate regional cooperation and foster access to seamless communication across West Africa.

The opening ceremony of the meeting was marked with statements from: Mr. João da Luz Ramos, Director-General for Telecommunications at the Ministry of Digital Economy of Cabo Verde; Ms. Folake Olagunju, Acting Director for Digital Economy and Post who represented the ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalisation, Mr. Sédiko Douka; Mr. Aliyu Yusuf Aboki, Executive Secretary of the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly; and Mr. Fofana Lanciné, Director of Research and Studies, representing the Director-General of the Regulatory Authority of Telecommunications/ICT and Post of Côte d’Ivoire. All speakers underscored the critical importance of roaming services for the citizens of the community, highlighting how these services significantly contribute to economic growth and development.

The meeting validated the progress made by Member States in implementing the Regulation on Roaming. Through successful bilateral agreements between Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, and Mali, roaming tariffs have been significantly reduced for ECOWAS citizens traveling within these Member States. The Gambia and Sierra Leone are also making progress towards launching community roaming services, further expanding the benefits of reduced roaming costs across the region. The meeting also provided an opportunity to validate the progress made by mobile operators in Cabo Verde in providing roaming services to their citizens travelling within the Community, with tariffs in line with the regulation.

The focal points also refined a draft regional framework for collaboration on fraud management within the context of the Regulation’s implementation. Additionally, a plan for the continued coordination of the NRAs to consolidate further progress in the Regulation’s implementation in 2025 was also agreed upon.