The African Telecommunications Union (ATU) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with tech giant, Huawei, that will see African countries and organizations build capacity for ICT transformation.

It also aims to expand the digital economy as well as rural connectivity, on the continent, through research.

A joint statement issued by the two organizations stated that they will collaborate to support local innovation, share information on latest trends, challenges and solutions in Africa and the world at large.

Meanwhile, under the agreement, Huawei will provide training on skills development, including reskilling and upskilling for ATU members.

Africa and Latin America lags in Data services

According to a 2019 report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on digital economies, Africa and Latin America, together, accounted for less than five percent of the world’s data centres. The report warns that if left unaddressed, the divides would worsen existing income inequalities in these continents.

Therefore, the MoU stated that this was part of the motivation for the Huawei-ATU partnership. Also, the fact that in least developed countries (LDCs), only one in five people used the internet as compared with four out of five in developed countries made this collaboration more important.

As a result, Mr John OMO, Secretary-General of the ATU, praised Huawei for its contribution to Africa over the years. The telecom company has embarked on several initiatives to improve internet connectivity.

“Huawei has transformed connectivity and made a major contribution to the continent through its investments in digital infrastructure, ICT skills, environmentally-friendly connectivity solutions, and cutting-edge technologies for rural areas”.

Potentials exist in Africa for IT opportunities

The Secretary-General of the ATU assured that “Africa has a tremendous opportunity to fully grasp the potential from new technologies”.

Furthermore, Mr. OMO averred that Huawei is a trusted development partner of Africa. According to him, the recent partnership aimed at strengthening that partnership. Additionally, he indicated that the two organizations had a long history of working together and the new agreement would support African countries, regulators, and citizens.

He stressed that these stakeholders will benefit from the transition to a digital economy, adopt new technologies, promote secure and resilient networks and gain the digital skills necessary to drive their economies forward.

On his part, Mr Samuel Chen, the Vice President at Huawei Southern Africa Region, commended the ATU for the leadership and promotion of ICTs in Africa.

“The ATU is playing a critical role in the region, supporting member countries with their policies and strategies, sharing best practices, building capacity and driving innovation and we are delighted to be able to support them”.

Also, Mr. Chen indicated that the tech giants had connected hundreds of millions of Africans to secure high-speed broadband and cloud solutions in the last two decades. According to him, their actions have earned the trust and support of their customers and regulators.

As part of the MoU, the partners would also start offering cutting-edge training to ATU members. It will help African countries gain access to global experts to discuss the latest technologies and trends. Moreover, it will enable collaborations on research to help progress the continent’s digitization.