ALGIERS, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Saturday underscored the country's strategic ambition to consolidate its position as a "hub for digital innovation in Africa."

Addressing participants at the opening of the "Global Africa Tech 2026" exhibition, Tebboune noted that developing the telecommunications sector has become a "determining challenge" and a "strategic issue of primary importance" for Africa's economic and social progress.

He called for reducing the digital divide and safeguarding data sovereignty, urging African nations to "master the flow of our data, produce our own services, and create added value within our borders."

The exhibition, held from Saturday to Monday under the theme "All Networks, One Convergence," was inaugurated by Algerian Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb on behalf of the president.

The opening ceremony brought together high-level African delegations and international representatives, including Amandeep Singh Gill, UN under-secretary-general and special envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies.

In his remarks, Gill called for a "networked approach" to building tech skills and governing Artificial Intelligence (AI), warning that without collective effort, "the digital gap" between the Global North and South will continue to widen.

He urged African countries to work together to set their own AI rules, stressing that the continent should not merely follow global trends but develop its own expertise and systems to ensure that technology benefits everyone fairly and protects local interests.

The exhibition serves as a platform for sharing expertise and best practices to foster a "strong and sovereign" interconnected Africa in the digital era. ■