Source: African Press Organisation in French
Source: Africa Press Organisation – French
The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) has called for stronger, more predictable and agile regulatory frameworks to address the opportunities and risks arising from the rapid expansion of digital technologies across Eastern and Southern Africa.
Speaking at the 14th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Association of Regulators for Information and Communications for Eastern and Southern Africa (ARICEA) in Livingstone, COMESA Assistant Secretary General – Programmes, Ambassador Dr Mohamed Kadah, said the digital transformation sweeping the region required regulators to rethink traditional approaches to oversight.
“Our challenge is to transform our role from reactive gatekeepers into agile overseers capable of governing an exponentially growing digital frontier,” Dr Kadah said.
He said ICTs were increasingly central to economic growth and social development, reducing transaction and information costs while improving governance through greater participation, accountability and transparency.
“With broader digital access, stronger infrastructure, and enabling policies, ICTs can drive inclusive growth, better services, jobs, and improved livelihoods,” he said.
Dr Kadah stressed that unlocking the full potential of the digital economy would depend on a regulatory environment capable of keeping pace with technological change.
He noted that policymakers and regulators were confronting increasingly complex challenges, including cross-border digital ecosystems, data privacy, cybersecurity threats and emerging vulnerabilities associated with artificial intelligence (AI).
“The rapid pace of technological advancement has fundamentally outstripped traditional legislative timelines, leaving us constantly playing catch-up with fast-evolving markets,” he said.
According to Dr Kadah, the borderless nature of digital technologies was also making jurisdictional oversight more difficult, particularly in enforcing data protection rules and safeguarding critical infrastructure against sophisticated cyber threats.
ARICEA at a turning point
The AGM, he said, presented an opportunity for regulators to assess progress, address operational bottlenecks and develop a coordinated regulatory roadmap for the region.
“Together, we must build a sustainable, digitally integrated, and globally competitive economy in the COMESA region,” Dr Kadah said.
He identified universal access to high-speed internet, including through 5G, fibre networks and other critical infrastructure, as a key priority, alongside effective and predictable regulation.
As interim Secretariat of ARICEA, COMESA reported progress in implementing decisions taken at the 13th AGM, particularly on institutional reforms.
A Legal and Administrative Committee has completed reviews of the association’s organisational structure and remuneration framework. The resulting Draft Constitutional Amendment Document, Optimised Organisational Structure and Remuneration and Compensation Framework have been submitted to the AGM for consideration and adoption.
The proposed reforms are intended to strengthen institutional checks and balances, clarify reporting lines and improve ARICEA’s ability to attract and retain skilled personnel.
However, Dr Kadah acknowledged that progress had been slower on two critical issues: the finalisation of arrangements for hosting the ARICEA Secretariat and Regional Cybersecurity Centre, and the recruitment of an interim Chief Executive Officer.
The formal hosting agreement remains unsigned following prolonged bilateral negotiations with the prospective host government. In response, COMESA has begun preparing a formal call for bids from eligible member countries should the current hosting arrangement fail to materialise.
The recruitment of an interim CEO also remains unresolved after the initial competitive process attracted a poor response. COMESA is now exploring alternative transitional arrangements to be presented to the AGM.
‘Threshold of a new era’
Despite the challenges, Dr Kadah urged member regulators to seize the opportunity to revitalise ARICEA and strengthen regional cooperation.
“Despite the operationalisation challenges, we now stand at the threshold of a new era,” he said.
“It is time for us to come together and rebuild ARICEA with renewed purpose and determination to be a regional leader in ICT—promoting innovation, fostering collaboration, and driving digital transformation across our Member States.”
He called on regulators to sustain stakeholder engagement beyond the AGM until ARICEA is fully operational and able to execute its regional mandate.
“Our engagement should continue well until we see ARICEA fully operational and executing its mandate,” Dr Kadah said.
The 14th ARICEA AGM brings together ICT regulators and observers from across Eastern and Southern Africa to review the association’s progress, strengthen its institutional framework and chart the future of regional cooperation in telecommunications and digital regulation.
Distribué par APO Group pour Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).