The first Francophone iPRIS cohort, after a year of capacity building, collaboration, and peer learning, concluded their journey with a reflective and inspiring wrap-up session held online in October 2025. This milestone was a major progress in the iPRIS mission to support inclusiveness and regional cooperation in Africa's regulatory landscape. While the session marked the conclusion of their iPRIS journey, it simultaneously paved the way for new and continued interactions among the alumni. This cohort first met in Luxembourg for their European phase in 2024, during which they shared telecom insights with their European peers.

Since its inception, iPRIS has supported over 120 regulators across 31 African countries, advancing inclusive, evidence-based approaches to ICT regulation. Since its inception in November 2023, over 200 telecom experts from across Africa and Europe are currently engaged in the iPRIS peer-to-peer capacity-building cycle. They are playing a vital role in expanding ICT access, fostering innovation, and unlocking development potential in their countries. Mobile internet penetration across Sub-Saharan Africa increased by 27%, according to GSMA, 2024. The cohort’s wrap-up plenary brought together national regulatory authorities (NRAs) from Chad (ARCEP), Mauritania (ARE), the Central African Republic (ARTP), Comoros (ANRTIC), ARPCE Congo-Brazzaville, and Senegal (ARTP), alongside regional bodies such as ARTAO and ARCEP France, and the SPIDER team. The session also included contributions from the Mauritanian national statistics agency (ANSADE) and representatives from Institut luxembourgeois de régulation (ILR).

The plenary commenced with introductions from the facilitators, among them Malena Liedholm, Aminata Ndiaye, and Edna Soomre from SPIDER, and Tantely Jeans from ILR, who thanked the participants and the cohort for their year-long commitment. Caroline Wamala, Director of SPIDER, delivered the opening remarks, noting that the cohort’s participation and development were highly valued. She shared the experience of the year as one of common enlightenment and institutional bravery. She also stressed that the Francophone extension of iPRIS was not just a linguistic achievement but a strategic action that would lead to more profound regional inclusion. The session was a time for participants to reflect, appreciate, and reaffirm their commitment; by doing so, the cohort’s successes were linked to the larger iPRIS goal of using evidence-based regulation for all in Africa.

Showcasing change initiatives

All the countries that presented their Change Initiatives did so with clarity and purpose, thus revealing the diversity of the regulatory priorities and institutional contexts.  ARCEP Chad introduced revisions to the national numbering plan and drafted new regulatory documents to increase transparency and improve cash flow in the sector. 

ARE of Mauritania presented its step-by-step plan to create a marketplace observatory. The undertaking comprised gathering data, obtaining regulators’ consent, and training employees, with particular focus on automated workflows and index unification. The team mentioned the study tours to acquire knowledge from other regulators, for instance, the one in Senegal, which focused on Excel-based data consolidation tools.

In the Central African Republic, the project aimed to improve internal data management and ensure compliance with regional standards. The team was optimistic about the future implementation of the changes. The Comoros Islands were cited as an example of a country that has consistently participated in the project and, although the details of their CI were not elaborated on during the session, their continued attendance remained a clear indication of the government’s commitment and the project’s momentum.

Senegal and Togo were referenced as contributors to peer learning, with Senegal’s technical approach cited as a model for replication. The exchange of tools, templates, and methodologies across countries reinforced the regional relevance of each initiative and demonstrated how shared challenges could be addressed through collaboration.

During the presentations, a consensus emerged, and a common thread of themes ran through them. Regulators aimed to fortify internal governance, enhance data quality, and, lastly, improve their capacity. The projects were based on real-world scenarios, ranging from legal frameworks to technical systems, and they demonstrated a common dedication to evidence-based policy-making.

Reflections from peers and experts

Facilitators and experts praised the cohort’s clarity, ambition, and institutional insight. Mr Rufus Samuel from ARTAO noted that without reliable data, regulators risk falling behind the market, and he emphasised that these initiatives are not just technical; they are foundational. ARCEP France encouraged collaboration with national statistics agencies to strengthen data credibility and coherence, citing their own experience with the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) as a valuable precedent.

“What we’ve learned here isn’t just technical. It’s a new way of collaborating, sharing, and building together.” Mariam Brahim Abdou ARCEP Chad

The participants' voices came together in unison, expressing the same thoughts. All of them pointed out that the true transformation is a very long process and requires not only patience, vision, and strategic partnerships but also projects like iPRIS, which made available to them both the tools and a network to support the progress. Representatives of the NRAs pointed out that working with colleagues from other jurisdictions not only allowed them to realise that they were having the same difficulties, but also taught them that the essence of regulation is trust, transparency, and co-development.

Looking ahead

This initial French group has now become part of the iPRIS alumni network, and there are still plans for engagement through mentorship, peer exchanges, and regional dialogues. The extension to French-speaking countries reinforces iPRIS's pan-African reach and facilitates knowledge sharing across languages in the field of digital regulation. The first group of French-speaking participants not only underwent a year of transformative learning but also set the stage for broader, stronger cooperation in ICT regulation. Their accomplishments indicate the influence of peer learning and the potential for institutional change. As the project evolves, iPRIS continues to support evidence-based, inclusive, and future-ready regulation in Africa.

Watch highlights from the 2024B iPRIS journey below

 iPRIS is coordinated and implemented by SPIDER in strategic and technical partnership with the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) and Institut luxembourgeois de régulation (ILR), as well as ARTAC, CRASA, EACO, and WATRA.

iPRIS is funded by the European Union, Sweden, and Luxembourg as part of the Team Europe Initiative “D4D for Digital Economy and Society in Sub-Saharan Africa” (Code: 001).

The African continent’s digital transformation journey was the subject of a high-profile debate at CNBC Africa where two of iPRIS’ voices were featured. With Edna Soomre, Head of Partnerships, Innovation and Digital Health at SPIDER, Project Lead for iPRIS and Trilok Dabeesing, Director of Information Technology at the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA) in Mauritius, the two connected in a discussion that was enlightening and insightful. The conversation reinforced the point that Africa has a digital future full of challenges and opportunities, and iPRIS is a main player in the change that is taking place.

Africa’s ICT moment: Progress with persistent gaps

Soomre pointed out that Africa is pulling up its weight as a digital leader, with the investment of the regulators and regional players in the ICT sector’s transformation being the driving factor. Still, a large pool of nearly 60% of the Africans are disconnected, although the places where they live are close to the infrastructure. “What we see is a lack of trust in services, gaps in women’s access and affordability challenges,” she asserted, citing the fact that only 31% of African women use digital services as compared to 43% of their male counterparts. Partnerships are a must for Soomre: inclusion should not be left to the regulators alone; it should also involve international development actors, private sector partners, and the communities.

Mauritius as a case study: Lessons for the continent

Dabeesing from Mauritius discussed the country's highlights, including a mobile penetration rate of over 170%, effective e-government services, and its efforts to tap into fintech and digital trade. However, he noted that the African story has room for improvement. “In rural areas, the people’s chances of using mobile internet are three times lower than in cities,” he elaborated. The high cost of data is a significant factor that hinders the penetration of the Internet in Africa. It is estimated that the cost of 1 GB of data in Africa is approximately 3% of the user’s monthly salary, while the UN’s threshold is 2%. The situation with electricity is bleak, as 600 million Africans are still not connected to the electricity supply, which is a major hurdle to the uptake of ICTs. 

Dabeesing stressed the impact of the iPRIS project: “The major upside of iPRIS is that it gives the regulators and the policy-makers not only the technical know-how but also the tools for ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion, thus making the digital transformation process fair and affordable.”

iPRIS as the primary driver of change

iPRIS is funded by the European Union, Sweden, and Luxembourg, and is reinforcing regulatory capacity in 43 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with assistance from four African regional regulatory organisations (RROs). This program addresses various challenges through the National Regulatory Authorities’ (NRA) Change Initiatives, including affordability, digital illiteracy, and infrastructure gaps. Some of the activities in the Sub-Saharan region are strengthening the cybersecurity frameworks in Mauritius and advancing the possibilities of satellite connectivity in Tanzania.

Soomre pointed out the economic potential: “If communities living next to the border are afraid of roaming fees or do not trust the services, they will not be able to trade or do business. It is through regulatory innovation and cross-border cooperation that these opportunities will be unlocked.”

Youth and the digital economy

The people of Africa are its greatest asset, with the youth comprising the most significant part of the population, at almost 60%. The Youth are the very focus of the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy (2020-2030), and the IFC/Google report that Africa’s internet economy will grow to USD 180 billion by 2025 is a testimony to the youth being the key driver of the continent's growth. 

To harness the digital potential of Africa, regulators will have to teach the public how to make the best use of technology, create an environment that is suitable for digital trade and steer the national plans in the direction of the continental strategies such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) treaty.

The role of regulators in the future

The two speakers emphasised that the growth of the digital sector, which is accessible to all, cannot be achieved in isolation. RROs, such as ARTAC, EACO, WATRA, and CRASA, would need to closely collaborate with government ministries, academic institutions and the private sector. 

“Through dialogue, we can together mobilise the youth into jobs, create new opportunities and minimise redundancy,” Soomre stressed.

This CNBC Africa interview pointed out both the advantages and the obstacles of Africa's digital future. iPRIS is advancing the digital advancement agenda in Sub-Saharan Africa by stressing inclusivity, trust, and understanding. These foundations will help connect underserved areas and nurture emerging digital ecosystems. Dabeesing stated that the digital transformation of Africa is in progress, but making it fair, inclusive, and sustainable will be the task of a united force consisting of regulators, policymakers, and partners that are working together in tandem.

Watch the full interview here: Driving investment in Africa’s ICT sector - CNBC Africa 

iPRIS is coordinated and implemented by SPIDER in strategic and technical partnership with the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) and Institut luxembourgeois de régulation (ILR), as well as ARTAC, CRASA, EACO, and WATRA.

iPRIS is funded by the European Union, Sweden, and Luxembourg as part of the Team Europe Initiative “D4D for Digital Economy and Society in Sub-Saharan Africa” (Code: 001).

- Gaborone

The iPRIS Africa Phase was held in Gaborone, Botswana, from 6 to 9 October 2025 for the project's fifth cohort. It marked the convening of six National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) from Eswatini, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia, along with the Regional Regulatory Organisations [RROs] (CRASA, EACO, WATRA) and key iPRIS implementing partners from SPIDER and PTS. The Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) hosted the meeting, marking a significant landmark in reinforcing institutional capacity and fostering region-wide collaboration in Africa’s digital policy and regulatory ecosystem.

iPRIS has, from the very beginning in 2023, involved more than 30 NRAs from Sub-Saharan African countries in the project phases, providing them with support to improve their governance practices, collaborate more effectively, and create digital policies that are inclusive and reflect the specific conditions of their respective areas. This goal is crucial in a region where women are still 36% less likely to adopt mobile internet than men, and where digital exclusion is often a reflection of social inequalities (GSMA, 2025). iPRIS aims to tackle such issues by building regulatory capacity, promoting research-based regulations, and promoting gender-sensitive policies, thus ensuring that no one in Africa is left behind during the digital transformation process. 

Read about the iPRIS fifth cohort's Europe phase in Sweden earlier this year here

Day 1: Reaffirming Africa’s digital transformation commitment

On Day 1  in Botswana, Mr Murphy Setshwane, the Acting CEO of BOCRA, pointed out that harmonised and forward-looking regulation is essential for Africa’s sustainable digital future in his opening remarks. He referred to the African Union's Digital Transformation Strategy as a roadmap that will bring about the envisioned connectivity that is inclusive, affordable, and secure for all. 

During this opening session, Mr Brian Mwansa from CRASA commended the initiative for its positive impact in the area of partnership among nations:

The European Union delegation also reiterated the importance of regional dialogues as a key component of the Team Europe D4D Initiative, which continues to invest in Africa's digital resilience and policy harmonisation. Edna Soomre, iPRIS Project Lead at SPIDER, highlighted the importance of iPRIS as not only a capacity-building but a collaborative platform where the regulators can exchange their experiences, highlight their advancements, and through the latter, gradually set the tone for the regulatory ecosystems that will be inclusive:

After the warm welcome, each NRA presented and reported on their Change Initiatives (CIs), setting the stage for exchanges among ICT experts, RROs, and the PTS team. The discussions served as a reminder of the cohort’s intention to move towards digital environments that are fair and sustainable across Africa. 

Day 2: Learning from global experience- regulation, inclusion, and foresight

The second day of the Botswana Follow-Up Phase facilitated an exchange between African regulators and international partners, where they drew practical lessons from European experiences and adapted them to the continent’s ever-changing and dynamic regulatory environment. The sessions, featuring experts from Telia AB, SPIDER, and PTS, explored the development of regulation in the open market, the critical importance of inclusivity, and the strategic foresight needed to address challenges arising from technological and demographic shifts.

Sofia Donner from Telia AB presented a historical viewpoint on the regulatory shift in Sweden from a state monopoly to a competitive market during the morning session. She explained how the regulators' thinking has evolved through different phases, from infrastructure expansion to consumer choice, and now emphasises security, resilience, and data protection. The session served as an eye-opener for regulators, highlighting the need to balance the competing demands of the market with accountability. It also underscored the importance of protecting public trust in digital services through the implementation of the three principles: transparency, consent, and lawful data handling.

She highlighted that “Telecom governance has moved beyond infrastructure and market dynamics. Today, regulators and operators must define their role in society by ensuring that communication systems serve public interest, national resilience, and inclusive development.”

Dr Caroline Wamala Larsson then took over the stage with a fascinating and insightful discussion on digital governance and inclusivity, supported by her fieldwork in Mozambique. She provided an example of how accessibility issues, ranging from inadequate infrastructure to cultural norms, can exacerbate the digital divide. The main point of her presentation was that inclusivity should not only be considered in the regulators’ designs but also in the infrastructure, planning and innovation policies. She also used iPRIS’s approach to argue that gender-responsive regulation is not a separate agenda but a very basic pillar of fair digital transformation.

In the same vein, Kerstin Borglin and Katja Sarajeva reintroduced the basics of project management, which had been initially discussed in the European phase in Sweden. They encouraged the participants to improve their CIs with more precise definitions of outcomes, ownership, and sustainability. A number of regulators used this session to measure their progress, refine their implementation roadmaps, and thus guarantee that the iPRIS discussions will result in actual institutional results, in terms of being measurable.

The day ended with Bengt Mölleryd, who advocated for strategic foresight as a tool for readiness. He offered participants a walkthrough of the techniques, such as horizon scanning, scenario planning, and visioning, the tools intended for regulators to be ahead in shifts of markets, demographics, and technology. His session encouraged participants to cultivate diverse perspectives within their institutions and to view foresight not as prediction, but as preparation for the unknown.

Day 3: Peer exchange and regional collaboration in action

Peer learning and targeted collaboration marked the third day of the Botswana Follow-Up Phase, involving NRAs that worked closely with their respective RROs — CRASA, EACO, and WATRA — plus iPRIS coordinators from SPIDER and the PTS.

The day was structured around small group sessions, which allowed each NRA to deliver detailed presentations of their CIs to get personalised feedback and to hold discussions on practical ways to deal with the implementation challenge. This format led to more profound discussions about ways to measure country-level impacts of strategic plans. The RRO, SPIDER and PTS teams were instrumental in linking these conversations to the global regulatory practice; they steered the teams through the facets of institutional resilience, impact measurement, and long-term policy sustainability.

Here are a few photo highlights from the sessions: 

Day 4: The Way Forward and Closing Reflections

The morning session focused primarily on 5G and high-performing networks, which were regarded as the main factors driving the digital transformation in Africa. The experts from Ericsson discussed not only the evolution of the mobile network but also the significance of 5G in smart manufacturing and other sectors. They pointed out that Africa's young population is a plus, and if investments in policy, infrastructure, and skills development are made in time, the continent can witness a digital revolution. 

Efosa Aigbe from Ericsson revealed that "Africa’s youth are accelerating technology adoption across the continent. By equipping them with digital skills and building high-performing networks, we’re laying the foundation for a new era of industrialisation and connectivity."

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Communications Commission, as a regulator, mentioned its national 5G policy, and the discussion also involved spectrum allocation, deployment costs, and the necessity of collaboration among the stakeholders. One of the points made repeatedly was that in Africa, connectivity is not just a service anymore but rather the base for industrial and social transformation.

The program then transitioned to the "Way Forward" sessions, which have become a hallmark of every iPRIS round. Each of the six regulators taking part showed the new versions of their Change Initiative (CI) roadmaps, discussed progress they had made since they started together and the stories that were drawn from interactions with peers. The discussions were characterised by openness, practicality, and collaboration and thus uncovered both the difficulties and the inventiveness of the teams involved. The day ended with shared moments at the Mokolodi Nature Reserve, as they continued to network with a shared goal grounded on trust and the idea of inclusive digital development.

View more highlights and reflections below: 

iPRIS is coordinated and implemented by SPIDER in strategic and technical partnership with the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) and Institut luxembourgeois de régulation (ILR), as well as ARTAC, CRASA, EACO, and WATRA.

iPRIS is funded by the European Union, Sweden, and Luxembourg as part of the Team Europe Initiative “D4D for Digital Economy and Society in Sub-Saharan Africa” (Code: 001).