The West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly held its annual general meeting in Bamako last week. As usual, the organization has appointed a new steering committee to achieve its objectives this year.  

Saïdou Pona Sankaré, President of the Malian Authority for the Regulation of Telecommunications, Information and Communication Technologies and Posts (AMRTP) is the new chairman of the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA). He was appointed at the end of the 20th Annual General Assembly of the organization held from March 28 to 29 in Bamako, Mali.

As the chairman of WATRA, Sankaré will steer the activities of the assembly this year, with assistance from other members of the executive committee. "Our main task is to work with members to reduce availability and affordability barriers, promote culture, literacy and allow more West African people to become more productive and improve their access to local, national, and international economies through  ICTs," he said.

Sankaré succeeds Guinea's Sekou Oumar Barry (photo, right), director general of the Post and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ARPT). The latter was appointed head of WATRA at the end of the 19th General Assembly of the organization held in Conakry, Republic of Guinea, from 29 to 31 March 2022. During his mandate, he worked on the updating and adoption of WATRA's 2022-2025 strategic plan, the revision of WATRA's statutes, and the elaboration of a draft restructuring plan for the Assembly's organizational chart...

WATRA was officially established in November 2002 under the impetus of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to support its initiatives to harmonize telecom policy and regulatory frameworks. The assembly notably contributed to the improvement of services and the development of the ICT and telecom sector in a context marked by the acceleration of digital transformation on the continent.

Isaac K. Kassouwi