MWC26: Africa Pavilion inaugurated at MWC Barcelona by Ethio Telecom CEO and G6 leaders
Date: 2026-03-04
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
The
first-ever Africa Pavilion has been officially inaugurated at MWC Barcelona by
Ethio Telecom CEO Frehiwot Tamru alongside fellow chief executives of the G6
group of leading African telecommunications companies.
The
pavilion, implemented in strategic collaboration with the GSMA, marks a
historic milestone at the world’s largest mobile industry event. The initiative
was originally envisioned and proposed by Tamru as a platform to showcase
Africa’s growing digital capabilities and strengthen the continent’s collective
voice within the global technology ecosystem.
Following
the inauguration ceremony, the G6 leaders held a joint press briefing outlining
their collaborative roadmap for advancing digital development across Africa.
Tamru stated that the alliance is focused on bridging the digital usage gap
through expanded rural connectivity, affordable smart devices and the growth of
digital financial services.
A
central priority highlighted during the briefing was the development of
African-centric Large Language Models to support the continent’s artificial
intelligence readiness and reinforce digital sovereignty. Tamru emphasized that
robust and secure digital infrastructure will be critical for Africa to fully
harness the opportunities presented by the AI era.
The
collaboration aims to move innovations beyond pilot phases to large-scale,
continent-wide deployment, linking regional telecommunications growth with
broader global engagement.
The
Africa Pavilion has drawn strong interest from delegates and visitors, many of
whom described it as a significant step in showcasing Africa’s digital identity
and technological potential on the global stage.
