Huawei and several African telecom operators have launched a joint initiative to accelerate digital transformation across the continent’s telecommunications sector, with a focus on artificial intelligence and 5G.
The Northern Africa Digital Operation Transformation Pioneer Club 2.0 was announced at Huawei’s Operations Transformation Forum (OTF) 2026 in Barcelona, Spain, held on the sidelines of MWC. More than 100 representatives from governments, operators, and industry bodies attended.
AI as an operational imperative
“AI-driven unified entry and end-to-end intelligent operations are no longer experimental. They are operational imperatives, enabling telecom operators to accelerate transformation, create new value, and ignite growth across Africa,” Jim Liu, president of Huawei Northern Africa Carrier Business, said.
Lucas Lu, vice president of Huawei Global Technical Service, said the telecom industry is entering a new era where operators must reshape value creation, user experience, and business models through AI-enabled services and operations.
Operators backing the initiative
The alliance brings together senior executives from Algeria Telecom, Tunisie Telecom, Ethio Telecom, and Gabon Moov Money. Lassaad Ben Dhieb, chairman and CEO of Tunisie Telecom Group, and Bruk Adhana, chief mobile money business officer at Ethio Telecom, were among those who joined the launch.
Aaron Boasman, vice president of TM Forum, said AI is transforming operators from “traffic pipes” to “intelligent platforms”, with the first movers able to turn cost centres into profit engines.
Huawei’s Africa strategy
Huawei outlined an E.B.O.I framework (Entry, Business, Operations, and Infrastructure) designed for African operators to reshape business models around AI and 5G. The approach includes building operator “super apps” and AI-powered unified entry points for digital services.
The Chinese technology company has been investing in African markets for over a decade, supplying network infrastructure to operators across the continent. The Pioneer Club initiative, now in its second edition, aims to unite operator leaders to share best practices and accelerate deployment.
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