ITU AND ROAD MAP TO DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY

ITU plans to bridge the divide as part of sustainable development, writes  SONNY ARAGBA-AKPORE At a time when network connectivity locally is wobbling, Nigeria recently joined the rest of the world in formulating a road map to ensure global connectivity.

Rising after 11 days of deliberations at the World Telecommunications Development Conference (WTDC 25) in Baku, Azerbaijan, the country’s representative, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), signed to ensure that digital benefits get to its population.Of the 2.2billion global population that is offline, no fewer than 23 million reside in Nigeria, located in underserved and unserved communities across the country. ITU plans to bridge this divide by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).Universal, meaningful connectivity at the centre of global strategy for human-centred digital development was the fulcrum of WTDC 25. ​Indeed, Member States of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) agreed on a roadmap to bring connectivity to everyone around the world as the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-25) closed in Baku on November 28, 2025. “The Baku Action Plan agreed at WTDC-25 sets the agenda for human-centred digital development driven by telecommunications and information and communication technologies with focus on the needs of developing countries, underserved communities and vulnerable populations, according to ITU documents.

It states that “with an estimated 2.2 billion people worldwide still offline, the four-year plan spanning 2026 to 2029 supports efforts to advance universal, meaningful and affordable digital connectivity for an inclusive and sustainable digital future.”

“As conveyed to the WTDC-25 Opening Ceremony on behalf of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, Baku became the place where Member States and partners agreed on practical outcomes to guide ITU’s development work for the next four years,” said Rashad Nabiyev, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Digital Development and Transport. “Working alongside our partners, Azerbaijan has contributed to shaping these outcomes. The adoption of the Baku Declaration, which includes a reference to the COP29 Declaration on Green Digital Action, reflects our shared commitment to an inclusive and sustainable digital future.”

The Baku Action Plan, the principal outcome document of WTDC-25, includes new and revised resolutions to guide ITU’s digital development work, recommendations for ITU’s Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D), and new initiatives addressing key digital development priorities in ITU-D regions. The plan also sets out new and revised questions on issues to be addressed by expert ITU-D study groups.

“The outcomes of WTDC-25, contained in the Baku Action Plan, reflect the needs, priorities and aspirations of our membership in a forward-looking and results-oriented agenda for digital development and impact,” said Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of ITU’s Bureau of Telecommunication Development. “The Plan outlines the roadmap of action to bridge the remaining digital divides, while addressing the unique needs of Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States. We look forward to delivering tangible results and accelerating digital transformation by working with governments and regulators to create an enabling policy and regulatory framework that paves the way for the industry and private sector to invest and contribute to our efforts to close infrastructural gaps so we may achieve meaningful connectivity and bring everyone online.

ITU documents state that “WTDC-25 has brought us closer to our goal of making connectivity universal, meaningful and affordable for everyone, everywhere in this decade,” said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. “The Baku Declaration and Action Plan is our roadmap towards human-centred digital development that leaves no one behind.”

Organised by the ITU and hosted in Baku by the Government of Azerbaijan, the two-week conference brought together over 2,000 participants representing 153 Member States and the State of Palestine under Resolution 99. Broad global representation at WTDC helped ensure a wide consensus on the priorities and approaches to extend the benefits of digital technology to all.  During the conference, ITU issued the Global Connectivity Report 2025, offering recommendations to accelerate progress toward universal and meaningful connectivity.

Based on ITU’s newly released Facts and Figures 2025 data, the Global Connectivity Report provides policy guidance, measurement frameworks and detailed analysis across the key dimensions of universal and meaningful connectivity: quality, availability, affordability, devices, skills and security.

A two-year project to enhance the sustainability of national Smart Villages and Smart Islands programmes in the Asia-Pacific region: This project with Australia’s Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts (DITRDCSA) will serve as a model to enhance digital skills and access to digital services in rural and remote communities, directly benefitting seven countries and 3,000 people.

A project to promote capacity building and digital skills in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region: This project, with Intersputnik will benefit 300 professionals in the field of satellite communications and broadcasting technologies.

A new partnership to strengthen gender-inclusive digital trade: This project with the Telecommunications and Postal Regulatory Authority of Senegal will empower young women entrepreneurs in textile and food processing with digital and soft skills to grow their businesses. With digital divides mirroring economic development challenges, WTDC-25 featured a High-Level Dialogue for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States, where countries in those groups shared their plans to expand broadband coverage, advance people-centred sustainable development and ensure a secure future for all.

Back home, nearly a  week ending December 12, 2025, poor and almost irredeemable services were observed in parts of Nigeria, including the Federal Capital,  Abuja. The regulator blamed poor logistics support of diesel supplies for the crisis.

Aragba-Akpore is a member of THISDAY Editorial Board