Accomplishments of the Directorate of Telecommunications

1. Implementation of the INTELCOM I program (1984-1994) that made possible direct microwave connectivity between the capitals of ECOWAS Member States to provide telephone, telex and fax
2. Six (6) Submarines cables with 25 landing points that provide affordable broadband access to international connectivity
3. All Member States are interconnected with broadband network (fibre optic) and each country has at least 2 direct broadband links with its neighboring countries for redundancy purpose
4. Developed Policy and regulatory framework to set up enabling ICT environment and ECOWAS ICT Common market
5. Adoption of Community Acts on electronic transactions, Personal Data Protection and fighting against cybercrime to secure the cyberspace and create confidence in the use of ICT
6. Direct assistance to 10 ECOWAS Member States to domesticate the regional acts and to draft new national law on Telecommunication/ICT
7. Three (3) regional capacity building workshops with the support of US Department of State and United States Telecommunication Training Institute on Cybersecurity and Cybercrime
8. Capacity building conducted in collaboration with UNCTAD for 915 ECOWAS Experts on Legal Aspects of e-Commerce to raise awareness particularly for lawmakers and government officials on key aspects to be considered for the drafting of Electronic Commerce Laws, as well as on e-Commerce for Practitioners that aims to promote e-Commerce in ECOWAS region
9. Adoption of the ECOWAS Common transmission standard, compression norm and technical specifications for the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) receiver for affordable DTT receivers for all the citizens
10. Commemorative ECOWAS common stamp for all Member States launched to reinforce ECOWAS citizens’ sense of belonging to the same community
11. Design of Telecommunication/ICT Management Information System (SIGTEL)