Presented For: IG Forum Connect Africa Summit Kigali, Rwanda 10/27/2007 by: Sophia Bekele

1. This presentation will probably involve audience discussion, which will create action items. Use PowerPoint to keep track of these action items during your presentation • In Slide Show, click on the right mouse button • Select “Meeting Minder” • Select the “Action Items” tab • Type in action items as they come up • Click OK to dismiss this box • This will automatically create an Action Item slide at the end of your presentation with your points entered. Connect Africa Through An integrated continental Information Network Presented For: IG Forum Connect Africa Summit Kigali, Rwanda 10/27/2007 by: Sophia Bekele CBS International, Inc CIIN GAID Africa

2. CIIN A Common Vision Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare. Japanese Proverb CBS International

3. CIIN Complementary Initiatives AISI WSIS GAID NEPAD Abuja Treaty .Africa CBS International

4. CIIN A Personal Experience - Connectivity Infrastructure as a ‘must have’ - Widening gap of the digital divide for Africa CBS International

5. The Black Swan The Platonic fold - the explosive boundary where the Platonic mindset enters in contact with messy reality, where the gap between what you know and what you think you know becomes dangerously wide.

6. CIIN Entrepreneurship = Opportunity = Accelerated Development CBS International

7. CIIN Key to Accelerated Development • Common Vision • Breeding of Black Swans • Entrepreneurship • Continental Integration of our economies - RECs CBS International

8. CIIN Broadband connectivity Broadband Access is key to a shared vision, having basic water and power is a basic human dignity and Internet access should be one. According to recent World Bank report, over 90% of the population of Sub-Saharan Africa either have no access to backbone networks or are dependent on low-capacity satellite or microwave networks.

9. CIIN Broadband connectivity • As a key enabler of the four priority areas of the Global Alliance, will support African efforts to accelerate the roll-out of communication infrastructure and increase broadband access across Africa. • ICT infrastructure is essential for African countries to achieve regional integration and to enable poor people to participate in markets and help reduce poverty. • Economic growth in Africa will depend upon widespread access to ICT services which in turn provide access to local, national, regional and global markets. • Therefore, national and regional backbones, cross-border links, and rural connectivity need to be vastly expanded, in parallel with the deployment of applications to take advantage of connectivity for productive use. CBS International

10. CIIN Initiative • A new strategic networking initiative that is central to the achievement of an African Information Society on the basis of Regional Cooperation and Integration. • Will contribute to transforming the spirit and vision of WSIS into action and promoting the use of ICT for the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals. • Provides an inclusive, multi-stakeholder global forum and platform for cross-sectoral policy dialogue and advocacy and by catalyzing multi-stakeholder action oriented partnerships encouraged under the GAID umbrella. CBS International

11. CIIN Initiative • Focuses on the development of Information and Knowledge Networks and Resources for critical sectors I.e. agriculture /natural resources transport & communication, Public health, education, business & commerce • Requires large scale deployment /implementation of ICT infrastructures • Needs governmental policy & Strategy formulation, regulatory frameworks • Requires significant financial Investment, economic de-regulation & open competitive business environments to ensure full Private Sector participation • In line with the NEPAD, and could serve a basis for African Integration and Objectives of the African Economic Community /African Union CBS International

12. CIIN Common Vision To establish a knowledge network to enhance regional knowledge & expertise of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to achieve economies of scale via socio- economic investment CBS International

13. CIIN Common Objective To strengthen the knowledge sharing of the Regional Economic Communities via increased indigenous: • knowledge networking • Content development • Capacity building • Connectivity to the Internet CBS International

14. CIIN Strategic Use of the Knowledge Network • Connectivity of all the RECs to promote networking activities via Internet / Intranet /Extranet • Facilitate cross-border knowledge sharing and research partnerships with key knowledge end-users. • Development of integrated databases and local content to support decision making and to link the public, private sector, and civic society to the RECs CBS International

15. CIIN Strategic Use of the Knowledge Network • Reduce cost of communication and increase personal communication • Enhance regional identity and global presence • Link and participate with other existing professional knowledge networks and the regular programs of the UNECA CBS International

16. CIIN Strategic Use of the Knowledge Network • Generate demand-driven research relevant to practical policy issues • Increase competitiveness and productivity • Upgrade of equipment and training in the use of new information and communication technologies • Development of an effective communication strategy to make known the work of RECs CBS International

17. CIIN Specific Project Experience African Union General Secretariat (AU) - Strategic Info System Network Integrated Infrastructure The Requirement: • Support Early Warning System for conflict management in Africa • Possibility of scaling the project by linking to Regional offices of AU, sub-regional organizations and other international organizations. • Can be regarded as pilot scale project for a continent-wide network The Solution: • UNDP/UNOPS Sponsored Capacity Building Project • Local Company to provide the required technology supply, systems integration services, project implementation and overall delivery. CBS International

18. CIIN Data/Information Flow for the RECs CIIN NEPAD/AU UNECA-GAID & SROs CBS International

19. CIIN Technologies/Applications • Internet /Intranet/Extranet Web Portals Web casting Web Content Development • Integrated Databases • Multimedia Capabilities • Sectoral Applications: • E-government • Micro Finance • E- Education • E-Health/Telemedicine • E-Commerce • Academic Research (S&T) • Broadband, VOIP, WI-FI, Mesh Network, IP Phone Data/Video Streaming/Data Casting via Satellite • Knowledge Search Engines (OLAP cubes) CBS International

20. CIIN Regional Economic Communities (RECs) PROJECT STAKEHOLDERS PolicyMakers Institutesof Higher learning CivilSociety Global PrivateSector AU, ECA, ADB, World Bank, GKP, GAID, ITU CBS International

21. Critical Success Factor CIIN Assessment of Indigenous Knowledge Early Commitment of Stakeholders Participation of leading Content Dev Group Selection of Tested Technologies/Applications Strong Local Presence/Expertise Team Work among stakeholders Training (Capacity Building) Support - Post Implementation Funding CBS International

22. CIIN Conclusion Ladies & Gentlemen Our Policy Makers Our Ambassadors Our Development Partners The African Civil Society Private Sector Let us all call for a ‘ICT Marshall Plan’ For Socio–Economic Transformation of Africa and its digital inclusion in the global knowledge society CBS International

23. A Wired Africa I Thank you for listening!