Nokia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) to hasten digital transformation and the knowledge economy for socio-economic development across Africa.
The two parties will leverage the power of telecommunications, including 5G networks, to connect the unconnected and identify innovative use cases, as well as business models. The MoU will also lay ground for both organizations to better help governments shape telecom policy, develop talent and promote inclusion and diversity. This includes women, as well as the underprivileged in both rural and urban areas.
The MoU was signed in Nairobi, Kenya, by John Omo, Secretary General at ATU and Rajiv Aggarwal, Nokia Representative and Head of Central, East and West Africa Market Unit at Nokia.
Announcing the partnership, Rajiv Aggarwal, Head of Central, East and West Africa Market Unit at Nokia said, “We remain keen on supporting Africa’s digital transformation journey and by collaborating with the ATU, we strengthen this commitment. We will leverage our global technology expertise and insights on policy matters to positively impact the universal socio-economic development in the continent.”
On his part, John Omo, Secretary General of the ATU said, “Our vision is to make Africa a full and active participant in the global information and knowledge society by enabling universal access to ICT systems and services across Africa. Collaboration with a global industry leader such as Nokia is therefore crucial in this regard and will help us accelerate towards a digital transformation and knowledge economy.”
The Nokia-ATU MoU framework is guided by six tenets designed to facilitate this acceleration. These are
Sharing of best practices on telecom technology trends and developments
Identification of innovative industrial use cases toward the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Recommendation on implementation of emerging technologies and business models
Promotion of connecting the unconnected with broadband
Development of emerging talent for digital innovation
Promotion of inclusion and diversity
Regionally in the Middle East and Africa, Nokia recently partnered with UN Women to promote inclusion and diversity in Middle East and Africa. Nokia is also working with UNICEF as part of a shared-value partnership in Kenya to connect schools with broadband and empower children in rural and disadvantaged urban areas.