Connect Africa
 Connect Africa is a global multi-stakeholder partnership
to mobilize the human, financial and technical resources required to bridge
major gaps in information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure
across the region, with the aim of supporting affordable connectivity and
applications and services to stimulate economic growth, employment and
development throughout Africa. 
Connect Africa was launched at a Summit of
leaders in Kigali, Rwanda, 29−30 October 2007, under the patronage of the
President of Rwanda, Mr Paul Kagame, as well as the Chairman of the African
Union and President of Ghana, His Excellency, Mr John Kufuor. It was organized by the International
Telecommunication Union, the African Union, the World Bank Group and the United
Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development, in partnership with the African
Development Bank, the African Telecommunication Union, the UN Economic
Commission for Africa and the Global Digital Solidarity Fund.
This collaborative effort seeks to
involved various stakeholders active in the region, including China, India, the European
Commission, G8, OECD and Arab countries, major ICT companies, the United Nations
Development Programme and other international organizations.
 Connect Africa brings together partners to help
implement a number of ICT projects of significant, catalysing impact on the
development of ICT infrastructure in Africa. In doing so, partners will build on
the progress of countries which have established an attractive ICT policy and
regulatory environment to accommodate the private sector investment required for
sustainable network build-out. These projects will in turn trigger a cycle of
further investment and development.Connect Africa aims to complement, accelerate and
reinforce existing public and private sector ICT projects and investments by
targeting major gaps, mobilizing resources, and enhancing coordination between
stakeholders, in support of national and regional activities and priorities. Ministers of the African Union have identified
mobilizing resources for key regional ICT initiatives as a top priority, and are
expected to actively participated in the Connect Africa Summit along with
other partners.
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