Niger and Togo are poised to ink a free-roaming pact, enabling travelers to access electronic communication services seamlessly between the two nations. This development follows similar agreements between Togo and other states like Mali and Benin. Benin and Togo initiated their free roaming deal in October 2023, scheduled to commence in January 2024.
Moreover, Benin is set to establish free roaming with Ghana beginning July 1, 2024. Subsequently, in November 2023, Ghana's National Communications Authority and Togo's electronic communications authority agreed to bilateral roaming services under ECOWAS regulations, effective from March 2024. Togo and Mali also formalized a free-roaming partnership in December 2023, entitling mobile users to complimentary calls for the initial 30 days of their visit.
Additionally, Togo has forged a similar alliance with Côte d'Ivoire, with more nations expected to join. For Niger, this collaboration offers insights into Togo's data-driven telecom regulation techniques, aiming to enhance connectivity and economic activities.
These partnerships follow the amendment of telecom legislation by 13 ECOWAS member states, eliminating roaming surcharges, as confirmed by the Executive Secretary of the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA), Aliyu Yusuf Aboki, in May 2023. This decision aims to bolster cross-border trade and economic activities while addressing connectivity and data access challenges.
The announcement by the West African Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (WATRA) in 2016 further emphasized the abolishment of high roaming costs for telephone users in West African countries.
