MTN Group Chief Executive Officer, Ralph Mupita, has urged African governments to harmonise regulations, particularly in the tech sector, to support increased investment in digital infrastructure and accelerate economic development.
Mupita spoke at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, recently, where around 2,000 business leaders, CEOs, investors, heads of state, and ministers gathered to discuss shaping a new future for Africa.
The theme of the forum was “At the table or on the menu? A critical moment to shape a new future for Africa”.
Mupita said, “I would argue that the thing we do need to think about is harmonising regulatory developments, particularly in the technology space.”
He referenced the numerous different regulations that apply across Africa, where the population is of a similar size to that of India, a single country where only one set of regulations applies.
“How do we create regulatory systems that are common across Africa?” he asked delegates to the Africa CEO Forum.
Mupita added that harmonisation would help investors better anticipate their own returns and, in turn, encourage investment.
MTN Group has mobile operations in 17 countries in Africa and is working to extend digital inclusion in line with UN goals for universal broadband access.
The operator stated that only around 500 million of the 1.2 billion people in Africa subscribe to mobile services. Just over half (57 per cent) use 2G.
“This means only a quarter of Africans have access to the Internet. Most do not have smartphones, cannot afford them, and are digitally excluded,” it stated.
According to experts, Nigeria requires significant investment in digital infrastructure to propel its digital future.
The country’s focus on digital transformation is hindered by inadequate physical infrastructure like electricity and telecommunications.
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