December 11, 2025 (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), in partnership with the World Bank through the Eastern Africa Regional Digital Integration Project (EARDIP), convened a four-day Regional Spectrum Management Strategy Validation Workshop and Training in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The event brought together national regulators, policymakers, ICT experts, and technical partners representing Member States to advance a harmonised regional approach to spectrum governance, an essential foundation for IGAD’s digital regional integration agenda.
In opening the workshop on behalf of IGAD Executive Secretary H.E. Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, the IGAD Head of Mission to Ethiopia highlighted the strategic importance of coordinated spectrum management for the region’s future.
“Spectrum is the lifeblood of modern connectivity, enabling mobile broadband, satellite services, emergency communications, and the digital innovations that drive our region’s integration.”
— IGAD Head of Mission, on behalf of H.E. Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu
He underscored that rising demand for connectivity across borders and sectors requires a unified, forward-looking governance framework that supports interoperability, affordability, and efficient utilisation of spectrum resources across IGAD Member States.
Throughout the workshop, participants reviewed and validated the Draft IGAD Regional Spectrum Management Strategy, together with the Draft Action Plan and Monitoring & Evaluation Framework developed under EARDIP. Facilitated by experts from the Telecommunications Management Group (TMG), Member States examined the strategy’s pillars, strategic objectives, and mechanisms for cross-border coordination, ensuring alignment with national priorities while serving IGAD’s long-term vision for digital market integration.
Alongside strategy validation, the workshop delivered targeted capacity-building sessions on spectrum fundamentals, ITU frameworks, frequency coordination, interference analysis, and measurement campaigns. Participants further benefited from practical training using modern spectrum management software tools—including ITU SM4DC, HTZ Communications, and ICS Manager—to strengthen data-driven planning, monitoring, and cross-border frequency management.
By the end of the four days, Member States and IGAD agreed on key recommendations and next steps for operationalising the Regional Spectrum Management Strategy. The workshop reaffirmed IGAD’s commitment to strengthening institutional capacities and promoting a harmonised regulatory environment that supports broadband expansion, 5G readiness, and digital trade across the region.
This milestone under EARDIP contributes directly to IGAD’s broader Regional Integration Strategy, laying the groundwork for a more connected, competitive, and digitally integrated Eastern Africa.
