Transform Africa Summit: Continent looks to digital future

About 1,500 delegates attending the Transform Africa 2013 summit are exploring ways to enable Africa build on digital platform for structural transformation.The four-day conference that opened in Kigali, yesterday, seeks to spearhead broadband connectivity across the continent.Transform Africa Summit is co-hosted by President Paul Kagame and Dr Hamadoun I. Toure, the secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).Dr Toure said the conference is an opportunity for Africa to unlock its potential using the power of information and telecommunication technology and this will be done through massive investment in technology.“Private-public partnership is very crucial to determine the digital future of Africa. For the last six years $55 billion has been invested in technology development in Africa and we expect to reach $70 billion by the end of next year,” he said.Dr Toure added that in 2007, mobile penetration was 23 per cent in Africa, now the penetration has reached over 65 per cent and Internet went from 3.9 to 16.3 per cent. The conference, running under the theme, “The Future Delivered Today,” will devise ways on how Africa can leverage broadband to transform communities, governments and the private sector. It will also assess the resolutions drawn up during the 2007 Connect Africa Summit, also hosted by Kigali, and offer a platform for dialogue between governments and the private sector on technologies for socio-economic transformation opportunities for Africa.The continental forum is unique in a way that the programme of the meeting is on electronic platform; no papers will be distributed to participants, delegates with laptops and ipads are following the agenda of the forum online.“Africa is ready; we have the necessary skills to transform our continent using the power of technology,” said Dr Toure.“We have a young generation which is smart, well educated. We need to make sure that they follow the right frameworks to move forward and this summit is a channel through which our youth will transform the continent using ICT.”He said broadband connectivity has been dragging Africa behind, but now with strong partnership between private and the public sector internet connectivity is growing at a considerable pace.The ITU secretary-general said ICT infrastructure will not be enough to achieve the digital future unless capacity building and innovation are applied.He also hailed Rwanda for taking great strides in ICT development, especially the rolling out of fibre optical cable and 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network across the country.”Seven Heads of State will attend the summit today. Also in attendance are CEOs from Microsoft, Samsung, Facebook, among other technology enthusiasts; and representatives of international organisations, and civil society organisations. The technology companies’ representatives are already showcasing their products in an exhibition at the summit. ICT optimismKorea Telecom, the largest LTE investor in Rwanda, said the conference highlights the level of optmism Africa has for ICT development.“Africa’s digital future is achievable considering that the continent is fast adapting to the new technologies. Korea Telecom is looking forward to partner with Africa to realise its potential,” said Kim Hong Jin Kim, the president of Korea Telecom.According to Amb. Valentine Rugwabiza, the Rwanda Development Board chief executive, ICT has the potential to change the African landscape to achieve a digital future.“If you reflect on how far ICT has come and how it has changed the African landscape, then our digital vision will be achieved in the few years to come,” she said.Amb. Rugwabiza said Africa has shown impressive penetration of mobile phones in all aspects of life, in both urban and rural areas. “This tells us that connectivity has the power of widening the horizon of possibilities, unlocking innovation and transforming our lives almost overnight,” Amb. Rugwabiza added.Last year, the UN-backed ITU report ranked Rwanda among top 10 countries in Africa with active mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. ITU estimates that 95 per cent broadband penetration will translate into a 10 to 13 per cent boost in Gross Domestic Product for Rwanda. Earlier this year, the 2013 Networked Readiness Index by World Economic Forum and European Institute of Business Administration ranked Rwanda among the top 10 countries in Africa that are in good position to benefit from new ICTs.The Transform Africa conference is expected to award exemplary individuals and companies that are excelling in using technology to drive socio-economic transformation.The summit is also expected to feature five key interactive sessions that include leaders’ forum, youth innovation extravaganza, exhibition, smart Africa conference and awards. Gilbert Mbesherubusa, the vice-president for infrastructure, private sector and regional integration at the African Development Bank (AfDB), said they are going to launch a study to assess progress made in ICT infrastructure and its impact since 2007.“Almost every single village in Africa is served by at least one mobile operator. When it comes to ICT growth we are moving from a wish-list to concrete action. We are building a strong foundation for Africa’s future in ICT,” Mbesherubusa said.Nic Rudnick, the chief executive of Liquid Telecom, a subsidiary of South Africa-based Econet Wireless Group, said: “80 per cent of digital data has been created in the past two years. The goal is to enable Africa bank its potential on data development.”African presidents attending the summit include Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon, Salva Kiir of South Sudan, Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso, Thomas Yayi Boni of Benin, and Ibrahim Boubacar. Keïta of Mali, and the host President Paul KagameThe conference is expected to find an answer to how the transformative power of ICT and connectivity, along with the million growths and development possibilities are available on the entire African continent. Click Here for related pictorial

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Transform Africa Summit: Continent looks to digital future