African Ministers Urge Faster ICT Project Rollout
Continental ministers meeting in Libreville called on member States to accelerate ICT projects under the Second PIDA Priority Action Plan.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Telecommunications
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The Sixth Ordinary Session of the African Union Specialized Technical Committee on Communication and ICT was held in Libreville, Gabon, from 26 to 30 October 2026. Ministers urged member States to speed implementation of ICT projects under PIDA-PAP 2 and commended support from the Economic Commission for Africa.
Why it matters
Digital infrastructure projects across the continent depend on coordinated implementation and partner support to move from plans into delivered systems. Ministers' push signals a priority on turning continental digital strategy into concrete projects.
The session was the sixth ordinary meeting of the committee, held over five days from 26 to 30 October 2026, under the chairmanship of Ghana's Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations. The extraction does not detail specific technical specifications or project metrics tied to PIDA-PAP 2.
The players
Samuel Nartey George
Ghana's Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, who chaired the ministerial session and whose country chairs the committee's Bureau.
Economic Commission for Africa
A United Nations regional commission based in Addis Ababa that supports African governments on economic and technology policy and works closely with the African Union Commission.
António Guterres
United Nations Secretary-General, who launched the Global Grids Accelerator initiative in September 2026.
The details
Ministers at the session called on member States to accelerate ICT projects of the Second PIDA Priority Action Plan and acknowledged support from the Economic Commission for Africa and other partners. ECA says it supports policy analysis, capacity building and technical assistance on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital identity, data governance, connectivity and emerging technologies.
Timeline
26 to 30 October 2026: Sixth Ordinary Session of the committee held in Libreville, Gabon.
29 and 30 October 2026: Ministerial session chaired by Samuel Nartey George.
6 November 2026: ECA published its article on the ministers' call.
The Tech Race
The push builds on the Second PIDA Priority Action Plan, the continental infrastructure framework under which ICT projects were added alongside transport and energy programs. Ministers' emphasis on accelerating delivery comes as African governments seek to close connectivity gaps identified in earlier PIDA phases.
Faster ICT project delivery under PIDA-PAP 2 could expand connectivity and digital services for people across participating African countries. The extraction does not specify which projects, timelines or service changes will reach users.
The takeaway
Continental digital plans depend on sustained coordination between governments and partners such as ECA to become working infrastructure. Readers tracking African connectivity should watch whether PIDA-PAP 2 ICT projects move from commitments to measurable deployments.
Further reading
For related coverage of connectivity and infrastructure, see Telecommunications.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Uneca.
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