In the first episode of our new series, Tech in Africa, we discuss with the Secretaries General of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), John Omo, and of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), Rodney Taylor: the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between their organisations with a view to strengthening the partnership between them;  how digital diplomacy works between countries and regions of diverse sizes, economies and challenges; projects or initiatives that could be implemented that leverage the MoU; and outputs or outcomes the ATU and CTU would like achieved by the end of the current term of the MoU.

 

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and Stitcher!

ICT and ICT-enabled services have become critical building blocks as countries transition to digital societies and economies. Moreover, developing countries tend to share similar problems, challenges, and limitations, which if there is collaboration, can create a broad range of mutually beneficial opportunities.

The continent of Africa and the Caribbean region share a common history and have longstanding links that continue to today. Further, the state of development of these two regions, along with the challenges they experience, appear to mirror each other, though differing in scale. Although there is a strong affinity between the two regions, trade and investment has been minimal to non-existent.

However, over the past several months, there has been an uptick in the efforts to strengthen links between Africa and the Caribbean region, with an important milestone occurring in September 2022 of the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum, which was held in Bridgetown, Barbados. Separately, the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) and the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2022 to provide the framework for cooperation and collaboration. We are thus delighted to have the Secretaries General of those two organisations on the Podcast today to discuss the MoU and telecoms and ICT-related opportunities and initiatives that could be explored during the term of the agreement.

  • SG Taylor (CTU) and SG Omo (ATU) at the Gloabl Cybersecurity Forum 2022 ( Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
  • SG Taylor (CTU) and SG Omo (ATU) at the Global Cybersecurity Forum 2022 ( Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
  • On behalf of ATU and CTU, SG Omo and SG Taylor signed a cooperation and collaboration MOU
  • CTU AND ATU sign historic MOU on development in the ICT sectors

Starting with this episode, we are launching a new series, Tech in Africa, in which we will explore the ICT and technology sectors on the African Continent, with a view to doing our part in breaking down some of the barriers between Africa and the Caribbean region, whilst also seeing what insights we can learn that could be applied here.

 

Introducing our guests

Secretary General John Omo

John Omo is the Secretary-General (SG) of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), the African Union’s specialized agency for telecommunications and ICT development in Africa. He has held the position since January 2019 and was re-elected for a second 4-year term at the ATU Conference of Plenipotentiaries held in Algiers, Algeria in July 2022. He leads the continental body entrusted with building consensus within African countries in the development of ICT policies, systems and services, and also in coordinating African participation in international ICT fora.

SG Omo has over 30 years of experience as a lawyer and has contributed immensely to the development of local and international policies, legislation, agreements, and treaties in all areas of public service life but mainly in the area of ICTs. Prior to his election as the Secretary General of the Union, he worked with the Communications Authority of Kenya, Kenya’s ICT regulator, where he provided leadership over the Authority’s legal matters and strategies. Before that, he worked in the public/civil service.

 

Secretary General Rodney Taylor

Rodney Taylor is the Secretary-General (SG) of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union. Prior to that appointment, he was the Chief Digital Technology Officer of the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Smart Technology (MIST), in Barbados, where he was the technical lead on Barbados’ digital transformation, to improve public sector service delivery through strategic use of innovation, science and SMART technology.

SG Taylor has over 20 years of professional experience, which includes managing the Information Systems Unit in Barbados’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and its overseas missions. He also previously served as the Business Development and Operations Manager of the CTU, where he worked with regional governments in the development of policies to govern ICT and represented the region in many international ICT conferences. He also led the work to operationalise the CTU’s Caribbean Centre of Excellence, to offer consultancy services to the Member States and others.

 

Insights into our conversation

The potential for collaboration between Africa and the Caribbean region is vast, but in the first instance, it is critical that we establish and nurture the lines of communication, to increase our awareness of each other and to debunk myths and misperceptions. The MoU between the ATU and CTU could thus be considered a first step in the right direction.

In the conversation with SG Omo and SG Taylor, the starting point for the MOU seemed to have been digital diplomacy: to foster collaboration developing harmonised positions on issues in global discussions on telecoms and ICT. However, there is also the potential, through the MOU, to draw upon the insights and expertise of their respective regions to solve real-world and common problems that to date, we have been challenged to solve alone.

Below are key questions posed to SG Omo and SG Taylor during our conversation.

  1. To help set some context, please give us a quick overview of:
    1. the ATU, the role it plays in the African telecoms space.
    1. the CTU, and the role it plays in the Caribbean telecoms space.
  2. What was the impetus behind establishing an MoU between your two organisations?
  3. What are issues or challenges that the ATU would like to see addressed in Africa for which having stronger ties with the Caribbean region might be beneficial?
  4. What are issues or challenges that the CTU would like to see addressed in the Caribbean for which having stronger ties with the African region might be beneficial?
  5. Have any projects or activities been identified that leverage the MoU?
  6. Noting that MoU is effective for a period of three (3) years – so by 2025 – are there specific outputs or outcomes you would like to achieve by then?

 

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Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.

Let’s make it happen!

 

Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode or otherwise, might be useful:

 

 

Images credit:  ATU;  CTU; Cytonn Photography (Unsplash);  Fauxels (Pexels); Vardan Papikyan (Unsplash)

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell

Podcast editing support:  Mayra Bonilla Lopez