From 9 to 12 February 2026, the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications and Post of Benin (ARCEP Benin) will host the Africa round of the second Francophone cohort of the ICT Policy and Regulation – Institutional Strengthening (iPRIS) programme in Cotonou.

The meeting brings together African National Telecom Regulators, Regional Regulatory Organisations, alongside international collaborators to strengthen institutional capacity and advance inclusive digital transformation across Francophone Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) faces major challenges in digital development, including underdeveloped digital infrastructure, limited access to affordable connectivity, a digital gender gap, limited skills for digitally enabled industries, and weak regulatory and policy environments. However, over the last few years, the region has made major advances in digital transformation, with hundreds of millions of people gaining access to the internet and productively using a wide variety of digital services, such as mobile payments and e-learning platforms (World Bank, 2024).

The Africa round of iPRIS’s Francophone cohort in Benin builds on knowledge-sharing sessions in Europe and moves toward  implementation, tailoring reforms to local contexts and regional priorities.

Among the participating National Regulatory Authorities are the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications and Post of Benin (ARCEP Benin), the Regulatory and Control Agency for Telecommunications of Burundi (ARCT Burundi), the Telecommunications Regulatory Agency of Cameroon (ART Cameroon), the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Equatorial Guinea (ORTEL Equatorial Guinea), the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications and Post of Gabon (ARCEP Gabon), and the Regulatory Authority for Post and Telecommunications of Guinea (ARPT Guinea).

They will be joined by Regional Regulatory Organisations, including the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA), the East African Communications Organisation (EACO), and the African Telecommunications Regulators Assembly for Central Africa (ARTAC).

The meeting will also include implementing partners such as the Luxembourg Institute of Regulation (ILR) and the Swedish Program for ICT in Developing Regions (SPIDER), with contributions from European collaborators including the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications and Post of France (ARCEP France).

This convening marks the second stage of the cohort’s journey in the iPRIS cycle, following its initial phase in Luxembourg in September 2025. The follow‑up phase in Cotonou, Benin, will build on the cohort’s initial learning round in Luxembourg, shifting from exposure to Africa‑based implementation. By prioritizing practical reforms, the meeting reinforces ICT regulation as a driver of digital transformation, strengthens regional cooperation among Francophone regulators, and deepens institutional capacity‑building to ensure reliable and inclusive digital economies across Sub Saharan Africa, enabling regulators to implement lessons to local realities and implement concrete reforms.

Read more about the regulator’s time in Luxembourg here.

iPRIS is an EU‑supported initiative designed to strengthen ICT policy and regulatory frameworks across Sub‑Saharan Africa. Coordinated by SPIDER in partnership with the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) and the Institut luxembourgeois de régulation (ILR), the programme is part of the Team Europe Initiative Digital for Development (D4D) and emphasises peer learning, institutional reform, and regulator‑led Change Initiatives that deliver measurable impact. In Francophone Africa, the urgency of coordinated regulatory action is clear: over 60% of Africa’s population still lacks access to the internet, according to the African Telecommunications Union (ATU, 2024). This digital divide shows why the Benin meeting is critical, as regulators work to expand affordable connectivity and strengthen institutional capacity for inclusive digital transformation.

iPRIS helps bridge the digital divide by enhancing inclusive, meaningful digital connectivity. It does so by boosting the capacities of African telecom regulators through peer‑to‑peer learning with African and European counterparts, emphasising institutional reform and practical implementation as the basis for sustainable digital economies. Strengthening digital regulation is directly tied to the Sustainable Development Goals, as inclusive connectivity supports quality education, economic growth, innovation, and stronger partnerships.

Strategic Objectives of the Benin Meeting

• Advance Change Initiatives led by participating National Regulatory Authorities, moving from design to implementation.
• Strengthen regulatory responses to digital inclusion to ensure affordable access and reduce gender and rural connectivity gaps.
• Promote market efficiency by addressing competition, affordability, and consumer protection in ICT services.
• Equip regulators for emerging technologies, including satellite‑to‑device services, cybersecurity frameworks, and digital platforms.
• Tackle cross‑border regulatory challenges, harmonising approaches to roaming, spectrum management, and regional digital markets.
• Deepen regional and Francophone collaboration, fostering shared solutions and peer‑to‑peer support across national and regional institutions.
• Deliver practical outcomes, with regulators expected to return home with feasible reforms designed for their local contexts.

​

Since the project was launched in 2023, iPRIS has engaged 24 National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) and 4 Regional Regulatory Organisations (RROs), supporting more than 20 measurable Change Initiatives across spectrum reform, cybersecurity frameworks, roaming regulations, and satellite‑to‑device services. These initiatives demonstrate how peer learning translates into concrete reforms that expand affordable connectivity, strengthen consumer protection, and prepare regulators for emerging technologies.

The Africa round in Cotonou, Benin, is not the end of the journey but part of iPRIS’s continued engagement with African regulators. Continuous partnership beyond this meeting will be essential to ensure that the lessons learned translate into long-term reforms, stronger institutions, and more inclusive digital economies across the region. As the cohort advances its Change Initiatives and deepens regional cooperation, iPRIS remains committed to supporting regulators in adapting to emerging technologies and cross‑border challenges.

For updates and highlights on the programme’s progress, visit the iPRIS LikedIn Page.

Watch highlight videos of the iPRIS videos here.

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 wrap-up session of the fourth iPRIS cohort on the 16th of December 2025 marked the end of a one-year institutional-strengthening cycle for the participating National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs). The moment was very special: as the cohort finished its cycle, iPRIS itself celebrated two years of implementation, two years of assisting regulators to go from learning to delivery, and from ambition to institutional change.

The teams of regulators from Kenya, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Liberia, South Sudan, and Ghana were gathered together. It was a wrap-up session and a reflection point. The session revealed the capacity regulators achieved in very complex institutional settings, how they worked around constraints, and the iPRIS methodology's practical value in capacity building, translated into concrete regulatory outcomes. The team had initially met in Namibia in early 2025 to discuss progress on change initiatives (CIs), after their first round in the iPRIS cycle in Sweden in November 2024.

Read about the cohort’s discussions and activities in Namibia here

From peer-learning to achievement

CIs, the unique activities in the regulator’s scope that each country had decided to work on, were the point of discussion. The focus was on core regulatory functions that are central to resilient digital ecosystems: the management of numbering resources, the governance of spectrum, SIM registration and KYC enforcement, and the institutional processes for consultation and approval.

There was a difference in the country context, but a common pattern emerged. The teams were able to:

• Develop or modify regulatory guidance based on evidence and stakeholder input.
• Carry out analyses to identify where existing frameworks are weak and which reform areas should be prioritised.
• Create detailed project plans that involve timelines, risk identification, and mitigation strategies.
• Involve a lot more people within the organisation, as well as stakeholders outside the organisation, in a more systematic and transparent way.

In several cases, draft guidelines and frameworks were completed and internally reviewed, with final approvals and publication pending institutional processes beyond the teams’ direct control. Rather than signalling stalled progress, these realities underscored a critical insight of the cohort: sustainable regulatory reform is as much about navigating governance systems as it is about technical design.

Country reflections: progress shaped by context

Strengthening numbering governance and future service readiness (Kenya, Zimbabwe)

Kenya and Zimbabwe anchored their Change Initiatives in the reform of national numbering frameworks to ensure readiness for evolving technologies and services.

Kenya focused on enhancing the telecommunications numbering resource administration and management framework, aiming to improve efficiency, transparency, and long-term sustainability in numbering allocation. The initiative included revising regulatory frameworks, clarifying administrative procedures, and engaging stakeholders to ensure alignment with market needs and institutional approval processes.

Zimbabwe’s Change Initiative is centred on the revision of the national numbering plan to include IoT and machine-to-machine (M2M) numbering. The team conducted a gap analysis and developed draft implementation guidance, informed by consultations with operators and regional peers. The work positioned the regulator to anticipate future services better while highlighting the importance of targeted, technically informed stakeholder engagement.

Strengthening national cybersecurity preparedness (Namibia)

Namibia’s Change Initiative focused on developing national cybersecurity incident management guidelines. The work addressed the need for clearer roles, coordination mechanisms, and response procedures in the event of cyber incidents. Through internal coordination and structured planning, the team advanced draft guidelines while navigating institutional approval processes, reinforcing the importance of preparedness as digital services expand.

Spectrum management reform amid institutional transition (Liberia)

Liberia’s team focused on FM spectrum management, responding to interference challenges, unauthorised broadcasters, and outdated regulatory provisions. Despite leadership changes within the NRA during the project period, the team completed a comprehensive regulatory review, internal validation workshops, and stakeholder engagement, including direct discussions with radio stations. While the final publication of the revised guidelines is pending formal approval, the initiative has already strengthened internal coordination and built a shared institutional understanding of spectrum governance challenges.

Enhancing SIM registration and KYC enforcement through inter-agency coordination (South Sudan)

South Sudan’s Change Initiative focused on enforcing guidelines on SIM card registration and Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements to strengthen sector integrity and consumer protection. The team developed draft enforcement guidelines, conducted stakeholder consultations with mobile network operators and relevant institutions, and identified critical dependencies with civil registration authorities, security agencies, and law enforcement bodies. The initiative underscored the importance of inter-agency coordination, data protection considerations, and sustained leadership support. While final approvals and nationwide rollout are forthcoming, the regulatory foundations for more consistent SIM registration enforcement are now in place.

Promoting consumer protection and digital inclusion in border communities (Ghana)

Ghana’s Change Initiative addressed digital inclusion and consumer protection for residents of border towns, with a specific focus on educating users about preventing automatic roaming. The initiative responded to persistent challenges faced by border communities, including unexpected roaming charges and limited awareness of consumer rights. Through structured planning, internal coordination, and targeted stakeholder engagement, the team advanced education-focused interventions while applying iPRIS project management tools to strengthen delivery and sustainability beyond the cohort cycle.

Ghana’s contribution emphasised institutional strengthening rather than a single technical reform area. The team reflected on how the iPRIS project management tools, clear objectives, structured workplans, sequencing of approvals, and risk management, supported more disciplined internal coordination and delivery. The experience highlighted the value of change management, cross-departmental collaboration, and leadership engagement in sustaining reform momentum beyond the formal iPRIS cycle.

Shared lessons from a full iPRIS cycle

Across all presentations, several cross-cutting lessons stood out:

• Project discipline matters. Tools such as clear objectives, workplans, Gantt charts, and risk registers were repeatedly cited as new and valuable practices now embedded in day-to-day regulatory work.
• Stakeholder engagement must be deliberate. Direct dialogue consistently yielded better outcomes than purely written consultations, particularly on technical issues.
• Institutional processes shape timelines. Board calendars, procurement rules, and leadership transitions are not peripheral—they are central variables that must be planned for.
• Teamwork strengthens delivery. Cross-departmental collaboration improved ownership, continuity, and resilience when challenges arose.

These lessons reflect the core premise of iPRIS: that regulatory effectiveness depends as much on institutional capability and process as on technical expertise.

Sustaining momentum beyond the cohort

As the fourth cohort concludes its cycle, the focus shifts from completion to continuity. Several teams are advancing toward publication, validation workshops, and implementation phases, building on the structures established during iPRIS. For iPRIS, the wrap-up session also marked two years of supporting various regulators in strengthening institutions from within through practical learning, peer exchange, and structured change initiatives. The fourth cohort’s experience demonstrates that even within constrained environments, regulators can deliver meaningful reform when equipped with the right tools, support, and networks. As iPRIS enters its next phase with ongoing cohorts, the achievements and lessons of this cohort provide a strong foundation for deeper impact, regional learning, and sustained institutional change across the ICT regulatory landscape.

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).

 On November 28th, alongside the backdrop of the iPRIS round, a collaborative workshop in Stockholm brought together representatives from the Communications Regulators' Association of Southern Africa (CRASA), SPIDER, and Visionary Analytics. The workshop participants included Bengt G. Mölleryd and Ulf Larsson from SPIDER, Brian K. Mwansa, Acting Executive Secretary of CRASA, and Vaida Gineikytė-Kanclerė and Audronė Sadauskaitė from Visionary Analytics, with additional input from Jonas Antanavičius, who participated online. They intended to work together on a critical pre-study to help develop CRASA's regional data collection and analysis tool. The session indicated a major advancement in the direction of the regulation, based on evidence from the Southern Africa region. This area is increasingly important given the rapid changes in technology, markets, and cross-border digital services that regulators encounter. CRASA's goal is to provide its member National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) with the necessary insights to make better decisions, advance benchmarking, and increase cooperation across the region through the establishment of a unified data approach.

The workshop outlined the pre-study rationale, scope, and objectives, making it possible for all participants to understand the project's expected outcomes and planned activities. Participants reviewed the methodology and fact-finding approach, which included the main research questions and working assumptions that would guide the study. Additionally, more of the conversation concerned the creation of indicators and a harmonisation index, two major elements for building a strong regional dataset. The group went on to discuss the preliminary concept of a data collection and analysis tool and considered ensuring the tool's significance and future scalability for the member states of CRASA.

The gathering concluded with the articulation of specific next steps: ratifying key agreements, synchronising timelines, and gearing up for the next workshop, where the basic insights gained will be further processed into practical recommendations. These joint discussions underscore the power of actively involving multiple stakeholders by gathering and leveraging regional leadership, technical expertise, and institutional partners to create instruments that support an ecosystem of regulation that is effective, transparent, and ready for the future across sub-Saharan 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).