GSMA Endorses Abuja Declaration, Unites Partners to Launch ATLAS Umoja AI for Africa’s Language AI Future

The GSMA  supports the Abuja Ministerial Declaration on Meaningful Connectivity for Africaby Ministers and Heads of Delegation at the African Telecommunications Union (ATU)  Conference of Plenipotentiaries (CPL-2026), describing it as an important milestone in strengthening Africa’s digital future through evidence-based policy, investment and regional collaboration.

The Declaration commits African governments to advancing policies that promote meaningful connectivity, digital inclusion, technology-neutral regulation, resilient digital infrastructure and locally relevant digital services. It also reinforces the importance of collaboration between governments, industry and development partners to close the continent’s connectivity and usage gaps.

Throughout the conference, the GSMA has worked alongside governments, regulators and industry leaders to support these shared ambitions through practical policy engagement, evidence-based research and new collaborative initiatives designed to accelerate Africa’s digital transformation.

Speaking during the ATU-GSMA African ICT Regulatory Leaders’ Forum, policymakers and regulators explored how stronger evidence-based regulation, greater regulatory harmonisation and future-ready policy frameworks can create an enabling environment for investment, innovation and sustainable digital growth across Africa. Drawing insights from the GSMA’s Digital Africa Index, participants also examined future-ready approaches to satellite regulation, highlighting how technology-neutral licensing frameworks can support innovation while extending connectivity to underserved communities.

“The Abuja Ministerial Declaration sends an important signal that African governments share a common vision for delivering meaningful connectivity through modern, evidence-based and investment-friendly policy. Its emphasis on digital inclusion, technology-neutral regulation, resilient infrastructure and stronger regional collaboration reflects the practical policy foundations needed to accelerate Africa’s digital transformation.”

– Caroline Mbugua, Senior Director, Public Policy, Africa, GSMA

Launching Africa Umoja AI

Supporting the ambitions set out in the Abuja Declaration, the GSMA, Nigeria’s Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Togo’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Transformation, Kenya’s Ministry of information, Communications and the Digital Economy, Namibia’s Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, Benin’s Ministry of Digital Transformation and Innovation, Awarri, Zindi, Pawa AI and Mozisha today announced ATLAS Umoja AI –a new pan-African initiative to strengthen collaboration on African language AI.

Designed to complement national AI programmes, Africa Umoja will bring together governments, industry and researchers to share expertise, datasets and best practice, helping develop trusted, scalable AI that better reflects Africa’s languages, cultures and development priorities. The initiative aims to accelerate innovation, attract investment and scale African language AI across the continent.

The launch builds on the momentum of the newly established AI for Good Global Commission. Ministers from Nigeria, Namibia and Togo, who serve on the Commission, have committed to support Africa Umoja, demonstrating how African leaders are turning global ambitions for trusted and inclusive AI into practical regional collaboration.

“Africa’s AI future must reflect Africa’s own languages, communities and development priorities. Africa Umoja AI brings together governments, industry, researchers and innovators to build African language AI at scale. By making AI and digital services available in the languages people speak every day, the initiative will help tackle two of the biggest barriers to internet adoption – digital literacy and locally relevant content – supporting efforts to close Africa’s usage gap and expand meaningful connectivity across the continent.”

– Angela Wamola, Head of Africa, GSMA

“Artificial Intelligence will be a defining technology for Africa’s future, but its benefits must be built on our own languages, cultures and knowledge systems. Nigeria is proud to have taken the first step through N-ATLAS and is equally proud to see that vision evolve into the continental ATLAS Umoja AI. By working together with governments, researchers and ecosystem partners across Africa, we can build AI that is more inclusive, locally relevant and accessible to millions of people, while strengthening Africa’s digital sovereignty and creating new opportunities for innovation, education and economic growth.”

-Dr. Bosun Tijani, Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy of Nigeria 

“Awarri is proud to support The ATLAS Umoja AI and contribute lessons from N-ATLAS, which has demonstrated what is possible when African language data, local technical talent and practical AI applications are brought together. This is an important opportunity to help build AI systems that work for African languages and communities.”

– Silas Adekunle, Founder & CEO, Awarri

“Africa’s AI future will be built by the people who best understand its languages, cultures and communities. Through ATLAS Umoja AI, we have an opportunity to empower local researchers, data scientists and developers to solve meaningful challenges, strengthen national AI capabilities and ensure African language AI is developed by Africans, for Africans.”

– Celina Lee, CEO & Co-Founder, Zindi

Alongside the launch of Africa Umoja, the GSMA continued discussions with policymakers at the ATU Conference on future-ready regulatory frameworks, including satellite connectivity, spectrum policy and technology-neutral licensing. Drawing on the GSMA Satellite Regulatory Playbook, discussions explored how modern regulation can encourage investment, expand meaningful connectivity and support the ambitions of the Abuja Declaration.

Together, the Abuja Declaration, Africa Umoja and continued collaboration between governments, regulators and industry represent an important step towards expanding meaningful connectivity, accelerating digital inclusion and supporting Africa’s digital transformation.