Prepared by: Nigerian Communications Commission
afrinet2k@ncc.gov.ng

The successful hosting, last year, of the Africa Internet Summit and Exhibitions (AFRINET '99) by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in collaboration with an NGO, the Nigerian Internet Group and hosted by the Ministry of Communication led to its recognition and adoption as an annual event.

The AFRINET, an initiative of the NCC, the regulatory body for telecommunications in Nigeria, provides a unique forum for leading telecommunications experts and practitioners world-wide and particularly Africa to come together to discuss the way forward for African telecommunications with emphasis on the Internet, which remain a huge and untapped market.

The second edition, AFRINET 2000, which is being organized in collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), will bring together key industry players from Africa and beyond, decision and policy-makers both in government and the private sector. The event it is hoped will further explore and proffer solutions to problems militating against the growth and optimal utilistation of the Internet, bearing in mind its attendant benefits to national economic growth.

It is common knowledge that there is an ever-widening gap between the industralised and the developing countries caused by, and/or reflected, in the lack of good and appropriate Information and Communication Technologies, both physical and regulatory.

Similarly, there seem to exists today, in most less developed countries amongst others, a vicious cycle of unavailability of funds necessary to improve telecommunications capacity and capabilities, the low level of which itself deters investors from providing this required capital. As a result of this unfortunate scenario, despite over 100 years of progress in telecommunications, nearly five of the world's six billion people continue to be denied the basic human rights to communicate by the lack of access to basic telecommunications services.

In particular, Africa's position as regards global Internet development is peculiar and precarious at its present stage, especially considering the fact that, the Internet, as is widely acknowledged, will replace nearly all the vehicles for business transactions, commercial activities, learning processes, medical services, acculturation processes etc. and has been changing the way the world economy functions.

This Millennium Summit which comes on the heels of the CTO/ITU/GAMTEL organized Summit will seek to further proffer solutions to the barriers to realizing the potentials of ICT and the Internet. It will review progress so far arising from present and past initiatives.

The sub-themes for the Summit include: -

Internet and Economic Development

Africa and the changing trade patterns arising from the Internet - E-Commerce in focus.
How ICT can improve African economies - empowering the small-scale entrepreneurs, the Telecentres, etc

Funding Internet in Africa and Pricing

Investment Opportunities in Africa
The role of Governments, Private Sector and the Multinationals

Appropriate Technologies

Convergence of Internet and Mobile Communications Systems
Internet Telephony - a substitute or complementary infrastructure
Developing IP Networks in Africa
Appropriate technologies for the African Economies - standardization in Africa - a possibility?

Policy and Regulation

Regulation, with reference to the convergence of Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
Regulating Internet Telephony
Internet and governance and Gender issues

Internet Applications and Content Devlepment

Internet and Education
Internet and Health
Internet and Culture

Co-operative Effort in Africa

Regional co-operative efforts - upholding the African Renaissance
Capacity Building

Country reports

The summit will feature plenary and concurrent sessions on Internet and telecommunications, a one-day E-commerce workshop and exhibitions from local and international organizations to display state-of-the-art technologies.

For further inquiries on sponsorship opportunities, participation and exhibition, please contact;