The Mano River Union School on Internet Governance and Emerging Technologies (MRU SIG 2026) has announced Commissioner Angela Cassell Bush of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) as its Special Guest of Honour and Keynote Speaker, adding senior regulatory leadership to the inaugural regional School on Internet Governance taking place in Liberia. MRU SIG 2026 will be held from 17–19 September 2026 in Monrovia, as part of MRU Digital Governance Week 2026. The School is designed to bring together emerging digital-policy leaders and professionals from Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire.
Commissioner Bush brings direct experience in telecommunications, Internet Governance and digital connectivity. As an LTA Commissioner, her portfolio has included International Gateway Services and Internet Governance, with engagement in international discussions, including ICANN, and national efforts to strengthen Liberia’s Internet infrastructure, resilience and cybersecurity. Her appointment as Special Guest of Honour and Keynote Speaker reflects the MRU SIG’s commitment to connecting Fellows with leaders who combine institutional responsibility, practical experience and regional expertise.
According to the MRU IGF Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG), her selection reflects the strong alignment between her experience and the School’s priorities.
Peterking Quaye, Programme Director of MRU SIG and Regional Coordinator of the MRU IGF, said, “We wanted our Fellows to hear from leaders who are actively shaping the digital environment. Commissioner Bush brings valuable experience in telecommunications regulation, Internet Governance, connectivity and digital resilience. Her perspective will connect Liberia’s national priorities with the wider digital governance agenda of the Mano River Union. “He added, “Her participation reflects the practical, locally grounded leadership that MRU SIG seeks to bring to the next generation of digital-policy leaders.”
MRU SIG is part of the growing global Schools on Internet Governance (SIGs) movement, which supports capacity building and broader participation in Internet Governance. Schools operate across different regions, while the Dynamic Coalition on Schools of Internet Governance (DC-SIG) provides a platform for sharing curricula, experiences and good practices. SIGs also create entry points for new voices, particularly young professionals and stakeholders who may not have previously participated in Internet Governance. The Internet Society Foundation further supports this model through its IGF Events programme, which recognizes the role of National and Regional Initiatives and Schools in developing the skills needed for inclusive participation in shaping the future of the Internet.
The global SIG community includes established Schools such as the South School on Internet Governance, South Sudan School on Internet Governance, Argentina School on Internet Governance, Asia Pacific Internet Governance Academy and European Summer School on Internet Governance. This experience provides an important foundation for MRU SIG 2026.The inaugural School has already received more than 100 applications from Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire, reflecting strong regional demand for practical skills in AI governance, cybersecurity, data protection, digital rights, telecommunications, DPI and digital inclusion. Due to limited resources, not all qualified applicants can attend physically in Liberia, but the virtual preparatory phase and post-School alumni activities will provide wider opportunities for engagement.
Quaye described the strong response as a clear indication of regional demand, “Receiving approximately 100 applications for the first edition shows the need for a regional platform of this kind. While funding limits physical participation in the first edition, we are committed to creating wider opportunities to engage with the MRU SIG community.” He added, “Our goal is to build a School that grows beyond the first cohort through alumni engagement, Policy Lab activities, mentorship and continued participation in MRU IGF and other regional digital-governance initiatives.”
MRU SIG is designed as more than a three-day training programme. Through expert sessions, case studies, peer learning, mentoring and a Policy Lab, Fellows will develop the skills to analyse digital challenges, engage stakeholders and develop practical policy responses while building lasting connections across the four MRU countries.
For Liberia, hosting the School creates an opportunity to connect local professionals and young people with regional and international expertise. For the region, it provides a platform for shared learning and cooperation on common digital challenges. Aligned with the global SIG movement and the UN IGF’s principles of inclusion, openness, transparency, bottom-up participation and multistakeholder cooperation, MRU SIG aims to build a lasting regional community. Its success will ultimately be measured by what Fellows contribute to digital policy, cybersecurity, regulation, research, innovation, digital rights and public-interest technology after the School.
As Peterking Quaye puts it, “MRU SIG is about building people, relationships and practical capacity. We want a young professional from Liberia to be able to work with a policymaker from Sierra Leone, a researcher from Guinea or a technology practitioner from Côte d’Ivoire on a shared digital challenge. That is the regional cooperation we want to build.”
With Commissioner Angela Cassell Bush joining the Faculty and leadership of the inaugural School, MRU SIG 2026 will bring together regulatory leadership, technical expertise, academic perspectives, civil society experience and the energy of emerging digital leaders. The ambition is clear: to build a stronger regional community capable of shaping an inclusive, secure, resilient and rights-respecting digital future for the Mano River Union and Africa.
MRU SIG 2026
17–19 September 2026 | Monrovia, Liberia
MRU Digital Governance Week 2026
15–22 September 2026earn. Connect. Collaborate. Lead.