The ECOWAS Free Roaming Initiative aims to reduce telecommunications costs and foster stronger economic and social ties between the two nations. This initiative is a significant step towards promoting regional integration and economic cooperation in West Africa.
The ECOWAS Free Roaming Initiative was adopted by the Council of Ministers in Praia, Cape Verde, in October 2017, but its implementation has faced delays due to challenges such as the absence of direct links between telecom operators, high call termination rates, and fraud.
Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire became the first ECOWAS countries to implement community roaming in June 2023,. Other countries in the region have also begun discussions with neighbors to comply with the initiative.
The aim of the project was to reduce the prices paid by ECOWAS citizens for the use of communication services or the need to use multiple SIM cards while roaming within the community.
This new partnership was spearheaded by Ghana’s National Communications Authority (NCA), Ministry of Communications and Digitalization, and mobile network operators (MNOs).
According to dig.watch, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) will emerge from ongoing negotiations, enabling technical and regulatory discussions.
Full implementation of the roaming regulations is planned for the first half of 2025, following the success of Ghana’s similar agreements with Côte d’Ivoire (February 2024), Benin (July 2024), and a trilateral deal with Togo and Benin (October 2024), which have already reduced costs and enhanced connectivity across the region.
