Connecting Africa An Assessment of Progress Towards the Connect Africa Summit Goals This report assesses the progress made by African countries in realizing the Goals of the Connect Africa Summit held in Kigali, Rwanda in 2007. The Summit was convened to mobilize the human, financial and technical resources required to bridge major gaps in ICT infrastructure across the continent, with an objective of supporting affordable connectivity and applications and services to stimulate economic growth, employment and development in general throughout Africa. The Summit also aimed to accelerate the implementation of the connectivity goals of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and, in turn, support the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Main Report This Connecting Africa report was prepared for the African Development Bank by a team of independent experts. This main report and the summary reports covering the Connect Africa Summit Goals are available online at www.afdb.org. May 2013 Table of Contents 1 | Introduction Background I 17 List of Figures 1. Global Fixed Broadband Subscriptions per 100 Inhabitants, 2011* I 21 2. Active Mobile Broadband Subscriptions per 100 Inhabitants, 2011* I 21 Organization of the Report I 18 3. Africa’s Undersea Cables I 22 4. Cross-border, regional and national ICT infrastructure I 23 2 | Infrastructure Development in Africa Broadband for Social and Economic Development I 21 5. Digital SADC 2027 I 42 6. Progress with ICT Policy Development in Africa I 44 Addressing the Broadband Gap I 24 7. Mobile Competition in Africa: Number of Mobile Operators I 50 8. The Broadband Ecosystem I 78 9. Progress Towards the Connect Africa Summit Goals by Selected Countries I 79 3 | Universal Access to Broadband in Africa I 28 List of Tables 1. Progress in Realization of the Connect Africa Summit Commitments I 17 2. ICT Sector Development in Africa Since the Connect Africa Summit I 20 Regional Policies and Strategies I 34 4 | Policy and Regulatory Development 3. Regulatory Issues Addressed by AMU and Member States I 40 in Africa Regional Regulatory Harmonization Efforts I 35 4. ICT Price Basket for AMU Member States and Selected Countries I 41 5. ICT Policies in African Countries I 44 National ICT Policies and Strategies I 43 6. ITU Centres of Excellence I 57 ICT Sector Regulation at the National Level I 50 7. Centres of Excellence Sponsored by AfDB I 57 Addressing the Challenges of Policies and Regulatory Reform I 53 8. Examples of ICT Training, Education, Capacity Building and Research in Africa I 59 9. Summary of Recommendations from eTransform Africa by Sector I 69 10. A Sample of National e-Government Initiatives I 71 5 | e-Skills Development in Africa Building Human Capacity I 57 11. African Countries Participating in the Pan-African e-Network Project I 72 12. Sites and Centres Established under the Pan-African e-Network Project I 72 Establishing of ICT Centres of Excellence I 57 13. Cybersecurity Initiatives in Selected African Countries I 74 ICT Capacity-building, Education, Training and Research I 58 14. Connect Africa Summit Interventions by AfDB, ITU and World Bank I 81 List of Boxes 1. Sudan’s Infrastructure Development I 25 6 | e-Services Transformation in Africa National ICT Strategies as a Tool for Delivery of e-Government 2. Infrastructure Development in Gabon I 25 3. Key areas of Intervention to Adress Goal 1 I 27 and e-Applications I 64 4. Tunisia’s Infrastructure Development I 30 e-Country Programmes I 66 5. Key Areas of Intervention to Address Goal 2 I 31 Sectoral Applications I 67 6. Mali’s National Information and Communication Infrastructure Plan I 46 7. Nigeria’s Policy and Regulatory Development I 47 Status of Cybersecurity Frameworks in Africa I 73 8. Policy and Regulatory Development in Tanzania I 49 Addressing e-Application and e-Security Challenges I 75 9. Key areas of Intervention to Address Goal 3 I 53 10. ICT Skills Development in Rwanda I 58 11. Capacity Building for Uganda’s ICT Sector I 60 7 | Conclusions Conclusion on the Progress Made by RECs I 78 12. Key areas of Intervention to Address Goal 4 I 61 13. Malawi – a Pioneer in e-Government I 65 Areas for the Bank’s Intervention I 80 and Recommended Actions 14. ICT Policy focus areas of EAC Partner States I 65 15. South Africa’s Vision for eGovernment I 66 16. Development of e-Applications in Kenya I 67 I 84 Bibliography 17. Key areas of Intervention to Address Goal 5 I 75 AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK GROUP 5 I Acknowledgements Foreword This study was coordinated for the AfDB by Salieu Jack, Chief Informa- tion and Telecom Engineer. Overall guidance for the study was provided by Gilbert Mbesherubusa, Vice President, Infrastructure, Private Sector and Regional Integration and Amadou Oumarou, Acting Director Transport and ICT Department, African Development Bank. The rapid take up of ICTs across Africa, especially mobile communi- The Connecting Africa reports were edited by Colin Blackman, Camford cations, is perhaps the most successful economic and social deve- Associates (www.camfordassociates.com) lopment story of recent times. Between 2001 and 2012, the number The main authors of the report are : Dr Albert Butare, a former Minister of of mobile subscriptions in use in Africa increased from fewer than 25 State for Infrastructure in the Republic of Rwanda, has over twenty years million to almost 650 million. Two-thirds of African adults now have of energy, communication technology, and water experience in Africa. access to information and communication technologies (ICTs). He is skilled in high-level public sector policy and project development These are, of course, impressive statistics but and implementation, engineering, social and economic development. significant challenges remain if the continent is Dr. Lishan Adam is an independent consultant and researcher specializing to meet the connectivity goals set by the World in ICT applications in development and ICT policies and regulation. He …The objectives of the Connect Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in worked at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in Addis 2003 and the UN Millennium Development Goals Ababa as a programmer, trainer, network manager and a regional advisor. (MDGs) for 2015 in Africa. The objectives of the Africa Summit were to continue Connect Africa Summit were to continue the mo- Dr. Dorothy Okello lectures at the Department of Electrical and Computer mentum towards these goals by closing major Engineering at Makerere University, and has over 15 years of diverse expe- the momentum towards these goals rience in teaching, researching, and in conducting projects and in contributing gaps in ICT infrastructure across the continent, to policies and studies in the Telecommunications/ICT sector at national and and develop the human capacity in ICT skills, in international levels. by closing major gaps in ICT in- order to support affordable connectivity, applica- tions and services. Reaching these goals would Engineer George Mulamula is an ICT consultant with a strong background frastructure across the continent… stimulate economic growth, employment and on ICT infrastructure and regulatory issues. He served as a senior expert and development throughout Africa. an intelectual property advisor for the Government of Rwanda and also ser- ved as a head of the Information Technology Unit of the African Advanced Level Telecommunications Institute (AFRALTI). I am delighted, therefore, to present this Connecting Africa report, which provides an up-to-date assessment of progress towards The AfDB is grateful for the contribution of the Connect Africa Summit the goals agreed at the Connect Africa Summit in Kigali in 2007. partners including the International Telecommunication Union, the African Hosted by the President of Rwanda, the Summit was organized Union Commission, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa by the International Telecommunication Union, the African Union, and the World Bank to the report. The report has also benefited from the guidance and input of Mr. Brahima Sanou, Director, Telecommunication the World Bank Group and the United Nations Global Alliance for Development Bureau (BDT) of the International Telecommunication Union. ICT and Development, in partnership with the African Development Bank, the African Telecommunication Union, the UN Economic The African Development Bank is also grateful for the input of experts from Commission for Africa and the Global Digital Solidarity Fund. the Regional Economic Communities including the East African Commu- nity, the Economic Community for Central African States, the Economic This report captures the progress being made towards the Summit Community for West African States, the Southern African Development Community. goals and highlights what can be achieved through the coope- ration of a wide range of public, private and civil society partners Useful comments on various parts of the text were made by experts atten- across the continent. More still needs to be done, of course, but ding a 4th Connect Africa review workhop organized by the International the continuing partnership and investment of governments, inter- Telecommunication Union in Addis Ababa, June 27 2012, including Andrew national organizations, development banks and multinational com- Rugege, Mocatar Yedaly, panies brings considerable hope for the future. Zouli Bonkoungou, George Ah Thew, Sele Pokima, David Kamara, Bridget Mphatso Linze, Edmund Katiti, Afework Temtime, Callixte Kambanda,