WATRA Partners with CTU to Enhance Regional Telecommunications Services

The West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA) has forged a strategic partnership with the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) to advance telecommunications services across their respective regions.

The partnership was formalised during a meeting in Abuja, where WATRA hosted a delegation led by CTU Secretary-General Rodney Taylor.

This high-level engagement marked a milestone in strengthening ties between West Africa and the Caribbean, fostering collaboration to address shared challenges and seize emerging opportunities in the telecommunications sector.

Welcoming the CTU delegation, WATRA’s Executive Secretary, Aliyu Aboki, described the partnership as a transformative step for both regions.

“Your presence here today underscores our shared commitment to strengthening regional and sub-regional ties, fostering meaningful peer-to-peer engagement, and advancing regulatory collaboration for the benefit of both West Africa and the Caribbean,” Aboki stated.

The discussions focused on critical areas such as spectrum management, broadband expansion, satellite services, and Internet governance. Both organisations underscored the interconnected nature of modern telecommunications and the importance of cooperation in driving innovation and overcoming regulatory hurdles.

The meeting explored key challenges, including funding constraints, sovereignty issues, and the need for streamlined organisational structures. These were reframed as opportunities for creative problem-solving. Taylor expressed optimism, stating:

“We are here to learn from your experiences, your challenges, and how you can assist us moving forward. Together, we can achieve more.”

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Capacity building, policy harmonisation, and knowledge exchange emerged as top priorities, with the CTU drawing parallels between its efforts to establish a single ICT space in the Caribbean and WATRA’s role as a consultative body for 16 West African telecommunications regulators.

During the meeting, WATRA highlighted Nigeria’s leadership in spectrum trading and direct-to-device technology, proposing these as models for collaboration and innovation. The CTU expressed particular interest in WATRA’s framework for non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) services and its implementation of the Roaming Regulation.

Looking ahead, CTU invited WATRA to participate in key events, including a Regulators Forum in Jamaica. Discussions also included plans to formalise the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with potential involvement from the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL).

The meeting concluded with commitments to enhance knowledge sharing and resource exchange. WATRA agreed to provide Nigeria’s spectrum roadmap and frequency allocation table to CTU. In turn, CTU announced plans to establish a working group to guide Caribbean regulators on spectrum management ahead of the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC).

This partnership between WATRA and CTU sets the stage for meaningful advancements in telecommunications across West Africa and the Caribbean, fostering innovation, strengthening regulatory frameworks, and driving mutual growth.