Key Areas of activities

• Enabling environments
• Harmonization of Policies and Regulatory Frameworks
• Broadband development
• Enhancing Cybersecurity
• Spectrum management
• Digital broadcasting
• ICT applications
• Production of ICT Statistics
• Capacity Building
• Postal services development

Programs/Projects

The directorate is running the following programs:

Program 1: Promote the Development of Economic and Technological Infrastructure.

Goal: Facilitate the development of infrastructure for the attainment of a Competitive Business and Investment Capacities and Environment

Objective: To establish Private sector and public-private-partnership development in view to:

• Put in place a region-wide high-speed (broadband) backbone and communication exchange points to facilitate traffic within the region and between ECOWAS and other parts of the world
• Adopt and implement platforms for e-applications, especially for a common e-commerce policy aimed at encouraging development in e-commerce
• Support national economic development and boost trade in the ECOWAS zone

Projects:

1. Implementation of the ECOWAS Wide Area Network (ECOWAN)
2. Development of broadband Infrastructure

Program 2: Establish Common Operational Rules for Transport and Telecommunications Infrastructure Services in the Region.

Goal: Put in place an enabling environment to facilitate the development of ICT sector for the attainment of a Competitive Business and Investment Capacities, which in turn will impact all the socio-economic development sectors.

Objective: To establish conducive business environment regulations and cooperation in the development of viable regional infrastructure in view to establish:

• A harmonized legal, legislative and regulatory telecommunications framework, which will pave the way for the establishment of a single, liberalized telecommunications and information society market
• Qualitative, reliable, secured and competitive telecommunications network and services for the region
• Beneficial relationships and partnerships with the other Organisations/Institutions in the Telecom/ICT sector

Projects:

1. Harmonisation of policies and regulatory framework
2. Establishment of the SIGTEL database
3. Development of the postal sector
4. Cybersecurity, Internet and e-Applications