Rwanda: DotConnectAfrica updates Transform Africa 2013 on the .africa Status
“We want the summit to acknowledge our success”.
DotConnectAfrica was among over 1,500 delegates that included Seven African Heads of State Ministers and CEO’s of blue chip firms. The summit was Co-hosted by President Paul Kagame and Dr. Hamadoun Toure, the Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), with the aim of pooling together International participants to set a new agenda for Africa to leapfrog development challenges through the use and uptake of Broadband and related services.
The summit focused on increasing and improving content affordability in a bid to move Africa from a content generating continent rather than one that just consumes, entrepreneurship and local capacity were also deliberated upon. Good governance has also been identified as part of the catalysts of development. ICTs as the latest focus platform were classified as an enabler and not a standalone system.
The four-day high level event was held 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 is organized by Rwanda a country that is passionate in its quest for change and is leading Africa in ICT and not only formulating but executing developmental strategic blue prints.
Ms. Sophia Bekele, speaking at the “Infrastructure” session, gave update on the journey of DCA’s current project .africa Domain, saying ” Our organization has been very much a part of the International conference that was first launched as ConnectAfrica 2007, when we introduced this very important Pan African initiative, to provide Africa an online digital identity. This is evident from the list of projects still hanging as part of the ITU commitment on the ConnectAfrica website. http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/connect/africa/2007/commitments/…. search “dotafrica”: At the time we committed 100k USD and 6 years later, we have raised over 1million US dollars and campaigned all over Africa to create awareness and the benefit to all African peoples and organization. We have since been credited by the African people and the African and International Media for our excellent work, over & over again”.
Asserting her organization’s position in the summit, she said “Our organization has pioneered this initiative and we want to register for the record that this Summit also acknowledges and registers our success. DCA is an African company that has met and exceeded its ConnectAfrica 2007 commitments and 6 years later is Transforming Africa through ICT. We want the Summit to acknowledge our Success.”