This year’s World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum will take place from 6 to 10th July 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland, bringing together global leaders, policymakers, regulators, civil society organisations, private sector representatives, academics, and development partners to explore how digital technologies can advance sustainable development and foster inclusive digital transformation worldwide.
As part of the WSIS Forum 2026 agenda, the Swedish Program for ICT in Developing Regions (SPIDER) will host a session on Wednesday 8th July 2026. The discussions will focus on advancing digital transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa by strengthening regulatory capacity and inclusive frameworks and initiatives. The session will be held under the theme: Enabling Inclusive Digital Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: Regulatory Capacity-Building through Multilingual Peer-to-Peer Learning. The panel discussion will feature five delegates from the implementing partners and stakeholders of the iPRIS project. The discussions will be moderated by Aliyu Yusuf Aboki, Executive Secretary of WATRA, who will also outline the digital transformation agenda from an African regional perspective.
Edna Soomre, project lead of the iPRIS project at SPIDER, will open the discussion with a presentation on human-centred digital transformation, examining how initiatives that consider intersectionality in the digital space can help ensure that digital technologies contribute meaningfully to social and economic development. Katarina Schyberg, iPRIS project manager at the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS), will discuss the value of the European Union-Africa regulatory exchange and peer learning. Her discussions will highlight how cross-border collaboration strengthens regulatory capacity and supports digital transformation efforts.
Tantely Jeans, an iPRIS Project Manager at the Institut Luxembourgeois de Régulation (ILR), will explore the role of multilingual capacity-building in advancing Francophone regulatory cooperation and facilitating knowledge exchange among telecom regulators. Manuel Cabugueira, a Board Member at the National Communications Authority (ANACOM), will present the upcoming iPRIS Lusophone cohort to expand regulatory collaboration and peer-learning opportunities across Lusophone Africa. Finally, Aliyu Yusuf Aboki, executive secretary of the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA), will share insights into WATRA's efforts to strengthen regional regulatory cooperation and promote harmonised approaches to digital development across West Africa.
Through these discussions, the session will demonstrate how multilingual peer-to-peer learning, regional cooperation, and inclusive regulatory frameworks can help accelerate Africa’s digital transformation agenda while ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital age.
Register online to follow the sessions live: https://www.itu.int/net4/wsis/forum/2026/Agenda/Session/158
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).
iPRIS aims to bridge the digital divide by boosting the capacities of African telecommunications regulatory authorities through peer-to-peer learning, in partnership with European counterparts. Designed as a dynamic capacity-building initiative, iPRIS is poised to revolutionise the landscape of National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) and Regional Regulatory Organisations (RROs) across 43 African countries in the period 2023-2028.
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).
November marked a significant milestone for the iPRIS project as we celebrated one year since the launch of our first capacity-building session in November 2023. In just 12 months, iPRIS has hosted three cohorts, engaging telecom regulators across Anglophone and Francophone Africa. Today, we are proud to collaborate with 21 African telecom authorities to drive meaningful social and economic transformation across the continent.
This past September, the iPRIS project held its first-ever iPRIS cycle for a cohort from Francophone Africa. The capacity building covered various topics, including consumer protection, spectrum management, regulatory frameworks, digital inclusion, and spectrum management. Participants also experienced Luxembourg’s cultural sites, including the Lëtzebuerg City Museum and the European Union Court of Justice.
In October, the Africa Regional Follow-Up phase in Dar es Salaam provided a platform for regulators from the second iPRIS cohort to showcase progress on their change initiatives, with sessions on project management, MEAL, cybersecurity, and legacy technology transitions enriched by insights from Ericsson Tanzania.
Group photo of the fourth iPRIS cohort.
This November 10–27th, we hosted our fourth iPRIS Cohort in Sweden for intensive 2.5-week peer-to-peer capacity building. Concurrently, the Africa Tech Festival was held in Cape Town, South Africa, from November 11–14 where the D4D Hub showcased its private sector advisory group.
In December, we will join the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Riyadh, focusing on policy, outreach, and capacity-building initiatives to maximise digital opportunities and address emerging digital risks. Please be sure to visit the iPRIS and D4D Hub booth if you are in attendance!
iPRIS is coordinated and implemented by SPIDER, in strategic and technical partnership with the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) and the Luxembourg Regulatory Institute (ILR). It builds on the success of a similar programme implemented by SPIDER and PTS which engaged 27 English-speaking African regulators between 2016 and 2022.
Currently, around 70 telecom experts from across Africa are taking part in the iPRIS peer-to-peer capacity-building cycle, playing a crucial role in expanding ICT access, fostering innovation, and unlocking development potential in their countries. Between 2023 and 2028, iPRIS aims to boost the capacities of telecom regulators in 43 African countries by creating opportunities for partnerships and tools that break down language barriers and stimulate European and African cooperation within and between continents.
Thank you for being part of this journey with iPRIS as we work to shape Africa’s digital future.
Dr. Caroline Wamala Larsson
Director, SPIDER
Borgarfjordsgatan 12, Kista,SWEDEN
Postal Address: Stockholm University, Department of Computer and Systems Sciences/DSV, SPIDER, P.O Box 1073, SE-164 25 Kista, Sweden
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