Africa targets cheaper data and smartphones to get more people online

Precious Omolu 12:31 - 28 July 2026

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African leaders and telecom stakeholders gather in Abuja to adopt the Abuja Declaration, a new commitment aimed at making internet access cheaper, smartphones more affordable and broadband available to millions more people across the continent

African countries have adopted the 2026 Abuja Declaration, committing to cheaper internet, more affordable smartphones, and better broadband access to help bridge the continent's digital divide.

African countries adopted the 2026 Abuja Declaration to improve affordable internet and smartphone access.
Technology-neutral policies will allow fibre, satellite, mobile and community networks to expand connectivity.
ITU says only 36% of Africans are online despite mobile broadband reaching 86% of the population.
Nigeria will chair the African Telecommunications Union Conference, while Zambia's Kezias Mwale was elected Secretary-General.

If you've ever complained that buying data in Nigeria feels like paying rent, African leaders appear to have heard you.

Several African countries have agreed to work towards making internet access cheaper, smartphones more affordable, and digital services more accessible across the continent after adopting the 2026 Abuja Declaration on Meaningful Connectivity for Africa.

The declaration was adopted at the end of the 7th Ordinary Session of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Conference of Plenipotentiaries, held in Abuja.

The agreement commits member states to improving broadband access, reducing the cost of digital services, strengthening cybersecurity and consumer protection, and expanding digital literacy, especially for women, young people, persons with disabilities and underserved communities.

The conference was hosted by Nigeria through the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Africa wants internet to become more affordable

International Telecommunication Union Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin speaks at the ATU Conference in Abuja, calling for affordable internet, technology-neutral policies and digital skills to expand connectivity across Africa.

Africa wants internet to become more affordable

Speaking at the conference, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Doreen Bogdan-Martin, said Africa already knows what it needs to close the digital gap.

According to her, the biggest priorities remain better policies, affordable internet and devices, and stronger digital skills.

"While millions have yet to benefit from digital transformation, we know what it takes to close the gap," she said.

Millions still remain offline

The Abuja Declaration aims to make smartphones more affordable and reduce the cost of mobile data to bridge Africa's digital divide and expand meaningful connectivity.

She encouraged African governments to embrace technology-neutral regulations, allowing fibre broadband, mobile networks, satellite services and community networks to work together instead of competing unnecessarily.

"Technology neutrality makes complementarity possible, unlocking healthy market competition that lowers prices and expands coverage," she said.

Millions still remain offline

Despite improvements in network coverage, the ITU says internet adoption across Africa remains low.

Bogdan-Martin noted that while mobile broadband now covers about 86% of Africa's population, only 36% of Africans actually use the internet.

She explained that affordability remains one of the biggest reasons.

According to her, mobile data still consumes around 4.2% of monthly household income in some African countries, almost twice the affordability target recommended by the Broadband Commission. Fixed broadband can cost more than 15% of monthly income in some places.

She also revealed that about $265 million sitting in Universal Service Funds across 12 African countries remained unused over a one-year period, despite those funds being created to improve internet access in underserved communities.

The ITU boss added that initiatives such as the GSMA Handset Affordability Coalition are expected to make smartphones, including refurbished and entry-level devices, more affordable for millions of Africans.

She stressed that digital skills remain just as important as internet access.

"People don't wake up in the morning asking for artificial intelligence; they want better health care, better education, better jobs and better public services," she said, adding that connectivity should enable those outcomes.

Better regulations could lower internet costs

Senior Director of Public Policy and Communications at GSMA Africa, Caroline Mbugua, said outdated regulations are slowing digital progress across Africa.

"Regulatory modernisation is not a technical footnote to connectivity policy. It is the enabler on which everything else depends," she said.

According to her, countries that have adopted reforms such as technology-neutral licensing, fair spectrum pricing and infrastructure sharing have recorded significantly better 5G deployment.

She cited findings from the ITU Global Connectivity Report 2025, which showed those countries achieved 5G coverage levels roughly 40 percentage points higher than nations without similar reforms.

Mbugua also pointed to the World Bank's Regional Digital Integration Programme in West Africa, where modern licensing reforms reportedly increased broadband penetration from 26% to 36% within three years, while reducing the cost of one gigabyte of data from about 10% of monthly income to around 5%.

She urged African governments to modernise satellite licensing rules and ensure companies offering similar services operate under similar regulations.

"When rules diverge, when one class of provider faces a lighter fiscal and licensing burden for delivering the same service, capital notices and it flows towards regulatory certainty, not away from it," she said. "Africa cannot afford a framework that works against its own investment."

Nigeria takes on bigger continental role

Outgoing ATU Secretary-General John Omo presented the ministerial declaration adopted by member countries, saying it covers digital inclusion, broadband expansion, infrastructure resilience, technology neutrality, regulatory harmonisation, consumer protection, fiscal policy and digital sovereignty.

He said member states were "calling upon member states to act with urgency" while urging operators and development partners "without distinction of technology" to increase investments that will help close Africa's connectivity gap.

Nigeria also emerged as the new chair of the Conference of Plenipotentiaries for the next institutional cycle.

At the closing ceremony, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy Dr Bosun Tijani said African countries must continue working together if the resolutions reached in Abuja are to deliver real results.

"Every discussion, every decision, every compromise has reflected a shared commitment and belief that Africa's digital future is stronger when we work together," Tijani said.

He added: "The decisions we have taken over the past two days will only achieve their intended impact if we continue to work together with purpose, mutual trust, and a shared commitment to ensuring that every African benefits from the opportunities of the digital economy."

Tijani also reaffirmed Nigeria's commitment to expanding digital infrastructure, improving digital skills, supporting responsible innovation and ensuring Africa has a stronger voice in global digital policy.

Meanwhile, Kezias Kazuba Mwale of Zambia was elected the next Secretary-General of the African Telecommunications Union after four rounds of voting. He will officially assume office on January 1, 2027, for a four-year term.

Accepting his election, Mwale said: "I accept this mandate with a deep sense of responsibility, mindful that leadership is not a privilege to be enjoyed, but a trust to be honoured and carefully guarded."