Engineers, Group Plan Summit To Connect 2.9bn People Worldwide

The local organising committee of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and Connecting the Unconnected Europe, Middle East, and Africa (CTU-EMEA), in collaboration with Baze University, Abuja, have mapped out strategies to host a landmark digital connectivity summit in Nigeria.

Ahead of the summit, scheduled for November 27-28, 2025 at Baze University, the partners held a high-level  meeting recently with  the University’s top management to finalise preparations for what promises to be one of Africa’s most significant digital inclusion conferences, themed “Bridging Digital Frontiers: African Solutions for Universal Connectivity” aimed to connect 2.9 billion unconnected people worldwide.

The IEEE, CTU -EMEA delegation was led by Professor Ifeayinwa Achumba, IEEE Nigeria Section Chair, and included Chukwuemeka Gerald Okafor, General Conference Chair, who presented comprehensive updates on the Summit’s progress and global significance.

Okafor in a statement on Monday, November 3, stressed the historic nature of the Summit, stating that the event represents a watershed moment for Africa’s digital transformation agenda.

“This is the first time Nigeria is hosting a major IEEE CTU international summit of this magnitude. We are bringing together over 200 global leaders—ministers, regulators, industry CEOs, and technology innovators—to address the challenge of connecting 2.9 billion unconnected people worldwide, with particular focus on African solutions,” Mr. Okafor said.

The General Conference Chair outlined the significant progress made in securing high-profile speakers and participants, including confirmations from government ministers, international development partners such as the World Bank and ITU, telecommunications executives, and leading researchers from across the EMEA region.

Other members of the IEEE CTU EMEA delegation included; Nneoma Offodile, Local Organizing Committee Chair; Engr. Abdulateef Aliyu, IEEE Region 8 Representative; and Dr. John Odey, all of whom contributed to discussions on technical, logistical, and programmatic aspects of the Summit, the statement said.

The Baze University management team, led by Prof. Osita, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), who represented the Vice Chancellor, included Dr. Abdulazeez Rotimi, the Dean of Engineering, Prof. A.D. Usman, Engr. Yusuf Usman, and other senior university officials.

The university leadership expressed enthusiasm about hosting the summit and reaffirmed their commitment to providing world- class facilities and support services for the international gathering.

Prof. Osita noted that hosting the CTU-EMEA Summit aligns perfectly with Baze University’s vision of becoming a hub for technology innovation and international academic collaboration. “We are honored that IEEE selected Baze University as the venue for this prestigious event. This partnership enhances our Institution’s global visibility and provides our students and faculty unprecedented access to world-class expertise in connectivity and digital transformation,” he said.

The summit comes at a critical time when digital connectivity has become essential for economic development, education, healthcare, and social inclusion. Currently, 2.9 billion people globally remain unconnected to the internet, with a significant concentration in Africa.

According to UNESCO data, in several African countries, women are 30-50% less likely than men to access the internet, highlighting the gender dimension of the digital divide. Additionally, research shows that each additional 10% increase in internet penetration adds 1.2 per cent to per capita GDP growth in emerging markets, underscoring the economic imperative of universal connectivity.

The state added that the CTU-EMEA summit will address these challenges through focused discussions on Innovative infrastructure deployment strategies for underserved markets; Policy and regulatory frameworks that enable connectivity expansion; Sustainable financing models including Universal Service Funds and public-private partnerships

Others include;  Technologies such as satellite, fiber optic, 5G/6G, and community networks; Digital transformation case studies from smart cities, e-government, fintech, and agriculture University-Summit Partnership Benefits.

The IEEE is a large international organisation for professionals and students in electrical, electronics, and allied fields. It is known for setting technical standards, such as the widely used IEEE 754 for floating-point numbers, and for publishing technical papers and organizing conferences.