Oghenevwede Ohworiole in Abuja
Mwale Kezias of Zambia has been elected the Secretary-General of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) for the 2027–2030 term.
Kezias emerged victorious with 21 votes, defeating South Africa’s Cynthia Lesufi, who secured eight votes, and Cameroon’s Vallery Ottou, who polled five votes. The election was decided in the fourth round by a simple majority after none of the candidates secured the required two-thirds majority in the first three rounds.
His election brought the 7th Ordinary Session of the African Telecommunications Union Conference of Plenipotentiaries (CPL-26) to a close last Friday in Abuja.
In his acceptance speech, Kezias thanked ATU member states for their confidence, and pledged to work with governments, regulators, development partners, and other stakeholders to bridge Africa’s digital divide.
