ECOWAS ministers meet in Freetown to advance digitalisation

ECOWAS held its 20th Ministerial session on Telecommunications, ICT, and Digitalisation in Freetown on 27 March 2026.

• Main action: Ministers from ECOWAS Member States met in a hybrid format on 27 March 2026 in Freetown, Sierra Leone to advance the region’s digital transformation, focusing on expanding broadband access, data protection and cybersecurity frameworks, and establishing a Regional Cybersecurity Coordination Center and a Regional Internet Exchange Point; the meeting outcomes will be submitted to relevant statutory bodies for formal adoption.
• Background and concrete measures reviewed: The session consolidated technical recommendations and highlighted regional achievements including operationalisation of Cyber/ICT Confidence Building Measures, establishment of an Information Sharing and Analysis Center, bilateral roaming agreements, upgraded national CSIRTs, Digital Forensics Laboratories, the West African Parliamentary Network on Internet Governance, and a harmonized e-government strategy; partners cited include Smart Africa and the Government of Sierra Leone (host).