{"id":95800,"date":"2025-09-15T14:22:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-15T13:22:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/connectivity-for-good\/public-policy\/?p=95800"},"modified":"2025-09-24T10:57:18","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T09:57:18","slug":"what-to-expect-from-the-inaugural-ministerial-programme-at-mwc-kigali","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/connectivity-for-good\/public-policy\/what-to-expect-from-the-inaugural-ministerial-programme-at-mwc-kigali\/","title":{"rendered":"What to expect from the inaugural Ministerial Programme at MWC Kigali"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The GSMA is hosting the first edition of the Ministerial Programme at MWC Kigali<\/a>, marking a new chapter in our commitment to advancing the digital agenda in Africa. The three-day conference will provide a unique experience to attendees, showcasing policy and regulatory topics pertinent to the region, such as the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence, accelerating the digitalisation of African economies, new digital infrastructure investment frameworks, and regulating the digital age. Here is what to expect from the agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day one: Driving social and economic growth through digitalisation and AI<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Digitalisation is at the heart of Africa\u2019s strategy to foster social and economic growth. As markets across the continent pursue structural reforms, the focus is shifting toward creating an environment conducive to economic diversification. The opening session will explore how digital technologies, including the transformative power of AI, can drive growth across sectors. Discussions will centre around how telecom infrastructure plays a critical role in this process and the policy reforms necessary to unlock the full potential of digitalisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s spotlight will be on how AI can catalyse economic and social transformation while addressing the technology’s associated risks. The session will explore frameworks for ensuring the ethical and responsible development of AI, with a focus on fostering innovation while maintaining security and equity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The day will also tackle the root causes of the usage gap, exploring solutions for affordability, digital literacy, and meaningful connectivity. The closing session for the day will turn outward, focusing on Africa\u2019s role in the global digital dialogue and the partnerships needed to translate global collaboration into measurable local impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day two: Driving digital transformation through fiscal policy reforms and innovative solutions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another key topic will be the fiscal policies that impact the mobile sector in Africa. Operators and mobile consumers in the region are subject to high sector-specific taxes, which inflate costs and discourage investment. The session will explore how governments and the telecom sector can collaborate on more structured, sustainable tax policies that balance development objectives with affordability and increased investment in mobile infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second session will shine a spotlight on the role of mobile-satellite partnerships in bridging connectivity gaps. As satellite services evolve, regulators and industry leaders will debate how to ensure fair competition, efficient spectrum use, and long-term investment across technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day three: Investment in digital infrastructure and green energy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The final day will be packed with sessions to address some of the most pressing challenges for African mobile operators, particularly the rising infrastructure deployment costs and the increasing demand for green energy solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With inflation driving up energy and construction costs, mobile operators face unprecedented challenges in deploying and maintaining infrastructure. The morning session will examine policymaker actions that could alleviate these pressures, including policy interventions to attract more investment into the sector and support the development of a robust domestic telecoms industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another key focus will be regulatory reform. The future of digital infrastructure in Africa depends on frameworks that promote competition, innovation, and investment while ensuring consumer protection. This session will explore ways to minimise regulatory asymmetry and compliance costs while also considering the balance between commercial activities and necessary interventions for consumer and economic welfare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final session of the event will unpack the latest developments in spectrum assignments and pricing, explore use cases driving demand for rural connectivity, and highlight best practices that attract investment. The discussion will chart practical pathways on how smart spectrum policy can empower Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow the debate<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Ministerial Programme is an invitation-only event within MWC Kigali, targeted at senior government and industry leaders. You can apply to attend here<\/a>. For session summaries on LinkedIn, follow the hashtag #MWC25MP.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The GSMA is hosting the first edition of the Ministerial Programme at MWC Kigali, marking a new chapter in our commitment to advancing the digital agenda in Africa. The three-day conference will provide a unique experience to attendees, showcasing policy and regulatory topics pertinent to the region, such as the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":95,"featured_media":95804,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[],"algolia_discover_type":[12147],"class_list":["post-95800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","algolia_discover_type-article"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat to expect from the inaugural Ministerial Programme at MWC Kigali - Public Policy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The GSMA is hosting the first edition of the Ministerial Programme at MWC Kigali, marking a new chapter in our commitment to advancing the digital agenda in Africa.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/connectivity-for-good\/public-policy\/what-to-expect-from-the-inaugural-ministerial-programme-at-mwc-kigali\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What to expect from the inaugural Ministerial Programme at MWC Kigali\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The GSMA is hosting the first edition of the Ministerial Programme at MWC Kigali, marking a new chapter in our commitment to advancing the digital agenda in Africa.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/connectivity-for-good\/public-policy\/what-to-expect-from-the-inaugural-ministerial-programme-at-mwc-kigali\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Public Policy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-09-15T13:22:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-24T09:57:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/connectivity-for-good\/public-policy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Kigali_skyline_600x300-1024x512.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"512\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"iivanov@gsma.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"iivanov@gsma.com\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What to expect from the inaugural Ministerial Programme at MWC Kigali - 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